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HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 
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THE BUSINESS LETTER 

By ION E. DWYER 




Class tU" -T'-y'-i 





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('opyrigh! N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



BY 
ION E. DWYER 

PRINCIPAL OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT 

HOPE STREET HIGH SCHOOL, PROVIDENCE, R.I. 

FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF COMMERCE 

IN ROBERT COLLEGE, CONSTANTINOPLE 




BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO 
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 

(&bz ftitaer^ibe pzzps Cambridge 



> • 






COPYRIGHT, I914, BY ION E. DWYER 



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



JUK-21914 



CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS 






©CI.A374293 



PREFACE 



A HE letter is the great business builder 
of the present decade. With its extended 
use is coming a corresponding improve- 
ment in the style of writing — a style that 
is free from meaningless formality and full 
of life, clear and strong in its appeal to the 
reader. 

It is the purpose of this book to take 
the student beyond the merely mechanical 
arrangement of the letter and develop in him 
the ability to write this new and better style 
of business letters — letters that have a 
business atmosphere and that are in step 
with the forward movement in business 
letter writing. 

The method here presented is not an un- 
tried experiment, as the author has used this 
plan repeatedly in his classes, with highly 
gratifying results. 

Ion E. Dwyer. 



CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 

Purpose of the modern letter 1 

Requirements of a good letter 1 

Outline of a letter (blank form) 2 

Sample letter 3 

PART ONE — THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE LETTER 

LESSON 1. THE FIRST IMPRESSION 

The advantages of convention 4 

Stationery * 4 

Style 5 

The parts of a letter 6 

Practice — Complete letter to be copied 6 

LESSON 2. THE HEADING 

Content 6 

Arrangement and punctuation 7 

Samples of headings 8 

Practice — Arrangement and punctuation of headings ... 9 

LESSON 3. THE INTRODUCTION 

Its significance 9 

Business titles 9 

Professional titles 11 

Official titles 13 

The placing of the introduction 13 

Sample of arrangement of heading and introduction .... 14 

Practice — Introductions 14 

LESSON 4. THE SALUTATION 

Its significance 15 

Common usage of terms 15 



vi CONTENTS 

Capitalization, punctuation, location 16 

Samples of introduction, with salutation 16 

Practice — Introductions and salutations, with arrangement of 

the letter thus far 18 

LESSON 5. THE CLOSING 

Purpose of the complimentary close 18 

The signature 18 

Practice — I. Use of given addresses in arranging and writing 

the parts of a letter taught thus far. II. Review .... 20 

LESSON 6. FOLDING AND DIRECTING 

Folding, illustrated 21 

The short fold, illustrated 22 

Fold for the official envelope, illustrated 22 

Use of transparent section in envelope, illustrated 23 

Folding for the square envelope . 23 

The direction — its importance 23 

Arrangement of the direction . 24 

Samples of directed envelopes . .25 

Opening the envelope, illustrated 27 

The corner card, or return address — its importance from the point 

of view of the Post Office 28 

Practice — Direction of envelopes 29 

PART TWO — THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE LETTER 

LESSON 7. ORDERS 

Vitality of the business letter — choice of words; conversational 

style 29 

Ordering goods — definiteness ; the out-worn hurry phrases . . 30 

Sample order letter 32 

Practice — Order letters, topics given . . 33 

LESSON 8. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF ORDERS 

Importance of the acknowledgment 33 

Sample acknowledgment 34 

Practice — Acknowledging orders of previous exercise ... 35 



CONTENTS vii 

LESSON 9. ENCLOSURES 

Care required; safety devices 35 

Enclosure illustrated 37 

Practice — Letters with enclosures, topics given 36 

LESSON 10. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PAYMENT 

Importance of the acknowledgment; courtesy, promptness, etc. . 38 

Sample acknowledgment 39 

Practice — Acknowledgments, situations given 39 

LESSON 11. EXTENSION OF TIME 

The request — its justification and time 40 

Practice — Letters requesting extension of time, situations given 41 

LESSON 12. EXTENSIONS (continued) 

Practice (result of studying sample that follows) — Replies to 

requests for extension of time, situations given 41 

Sample of refusal to request for extension of time 43 

LESSON 13. REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT 

Need of tact 44 

The first request 44 

Samples of a first request 45 

The second request 46 

Sample of a second request 46 

Practice — First and second requests for payment, situations 

given 46 

LESSON 14. REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT (continued) 

The third letter 47 

Sample of a third letter 48 

The fourth, and probably final, letter 48 

The collection business — lawyers and collection agencies; bank 

drafts 48 

Practice — Third and fourth collection letters, situations given . 49 

LESSON 15. REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT (continued) 

Practice — Collection series to be written, situations not given . 49 



viii CONTENTS 

LESSON 16. ANSWERING COMPLAINTS 

The power of courtesy 50 

The value of willingness to serve and satisfy 50 

Getting the customer's point of view 51 

Sample of complaint 52 

Samples of answers to complaint 52 

Practice — Answers to complaints, situations given .... 54 

LESSON 17. FORM LETTERS 

Economy 55 

Quality and purpose 55 

Tests 56 

The old-fashioned impersonal letter 56 

The personal expression 57 

The up-to-date personal letter (samples) . . . . . . .57 

Practice — Form letters, purposes given 59 

LESSON 18. SALES LETTERS 

Quality — personality, sympathy, sincerity 59 

Analysis of sales letters — the six steps 61 

Sample letter . . . . 62 

Gaining attention — the first step 63 

Practice — Sales letters, situations given . . . . . .64 

LESSON 19. SALES LETTERS — Description and Explanation 

Striking the note of human interest — the second step . 65 

Sample letter 65 

Explaining the proposition — the third step t 66 

The need of exactness . .... 66 

The importance of the second-person pronoun 67 

Practice (continuing the series begun in the previous exercise) — 

Holding the interest and making the proposition .... 67 

LESSON 20. SALES LETTERS — Argument or Proof 

The error of exaggeration and the value of proof 68 

Sample paragraph 68 

Effective ways of using proof; testimonials ...... 69 

Showing advantage to the customer ........ 69 



CONTENTS ix 

Choice of language 70 

Practice — Continuation of the previous series of sales letters, 
introducing proof 71 

LESSON 21. SALES LETTERS — Persuasion 

When and how to use persuasion 71 

The power of suggestion 71 

Sample paragraph 72 

Practice — Continuation of the series of sales letters of the pre- 
vious exercises, introducing persuasion 73 

LESSON 22. SALES LETTERS — Inducement 

Preventing delay on the part of the customer 73 

Sample paragraph 74 

Practice — Continuation of the sales letters of the previous exer- 
cises, introducing inducement 74 

LESSON 23. SALES LETTERS — Climax 

Making it easy for the addressee to order 74 

Strong and weak closings (samples) 76 

Practice — Concluding the sales letters of the previous exercises . 76 

LESSON 24. SALES LETTERS (continued) 

Practice — Revising for balance and harmony the sales letters of 
the preceding exercises 77 

LESSON 25. SALES LETTERS (continued) 

The error of criticizing a competitor 77 

Practice — New sales letters, topics given 77 

LESSON 26. SALES LETTERS (continued) 

The postscript for emphasis 78 

Practice — Sales letters, making use of the postscript, topics 
given 78 

LESSON 27. ANNOUNCEMENTS 

The value of the form letter in announcing phases or opportunities 
of business 78 



x CONTENTS 

The value of the personal touch . 79 

Sample letter . * .79 

Practice — Announcement form letters 80 

LESSON 28. FOLLOW-UP LETTERS 

The need and use of the follow-up letter 80 

How it differs from the first letter 80 

Sample letters 81 

The error of taking offense 83 

Practice — Four-letter series of follow-up letters, topics given . 84 

LESSON 29. LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION 

Latitude of such letters . 84 

Conventions of use 84 

Sample letter 85 

Practice — Personal letters of introduction, situations given . . 85 

LESSON 30. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 

Classes of letters — personal and general 85 

Cautions 86 

Conventions of use 86 

Sample letter — general ' . . .86 

The lessening value of such letters SO 

Practice — Letters of recommendation, situations given ... 87 

LESSON 31. LETTERS OF APPLICATION 

The importance of quality 87 

What the letter should contain 88 

Stationery, style, etc. . . 89 

Position requiring a bondsman 90 

Sample letters of application 90 

Practice — Answering advertisements from daily papers ... 92 

LESSON 32. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION 

The place of the request in business 93 

The question of return postage 93 

Inquiry as to financial standing . .93 



CONTENTS xi 

Practice — Requests for information and answers to such, situa- 
tions given 94 

LESSON 33. PUBLIC LETTERS 

The purpose and propriety of public letters 94 

Practice — Public letters, topics given 95 

LESSON 34. PERSONAL vs. BUSINESS MATTERS 

The use or misuse of the social element in business letters ... 95 

Cautions 95 

Practice — Letters requiring discrimination; business and social 
topics given 96 

PART THREE — TELEGRAPH AND POST 

LESSON 35. TELEGRAMS AND CABLEGRAMS 

Brevity and definiteness 97 

Charges 97 

Codes and ciphers 98 

Telegraphing money - . . . .... . . . . 98 

The service of the Telepost Company 99 

Practice — Telegrams: (1) condensing long messages; (2) framing 

telegrams, situations given 99 

LESSON 36. CLASSIFICATION OF MAIL MATTER 

Post Office classifications, with rates 100 

Unmailable matter 101 

Special delivery 102 

Registration 102 

Stamping the letter 102 

Parcel Post information (Post Office bulletin) 102 

Practice — Classifying and stamping mail matter . . . .104 

PART FOUR — THE MORNING MAIL 

Practice, as head stenographer of a large mercantile firm 

(1) In answering letters, etc., thirty-three communications given 105 

(2) In copying correctly a rough draft with corrections indicated 140 



xii CONTENTS 

(3) In answering a "Want" advertisement 141 

Practice — Additional exercises in letter writing 142 

PART FIVE — FILING OF LETTERS AND PAPERS 

The need for systematic filing 146 

Filing by name 146 

Diagram showing the correspondence necessary in a sale by letter 147 

Filing by locality 151 

Filing by subject 152 

APPENDIX 

Glossary of Business Terms and Expressions 153 

Business Abbreviations and Symbols 160 

Postal Information 163 

INDEX 175 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 

INTRODUCTION 

JlN the modern evolution of business, the business letter 
plays an important part. It facilitates the handling of the 
daily routine and makes it possible to do business wherever 
there is a postal system. 

Whether a mail order business is carried on or not, the 
letter is no less important. Goods are bought, collections 
made, complaints adjusted, instructions given, business 
policies and selling campaigns outlined in the business letter. 
And where the selling is done by mail, the sales letter is with- 
out a peer in importance. In short, the whole machinery of 
business is kept in operation by means of the business letter. 

It is a factor in business which is steadily increasing in 
importance. Letters that have life and personality — letters 
that draw trade — are not easy to write. They call for 
specialization, and this field has begun to attract men of some 
literary ability. 

A. GOOD letter appeals to the reader in two ways : first, in 
its mechanical make-up and, second, in the presentation of 
the subject matter. The first requires correct arrangement, 
punctuation, paragraphing, margins, balance, and suitable 
stationery. This is necessary to the all-important "first 
impression" which the reader gets from the letter. 

For a successful handling of the subject matter, the writer 
must have a good command of English — a smattering will 
not answer. The phrases must be well chosen, clear, convin- 
cing, and adapted to the person to whom the letter is written. 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



Heading 

Name with title ] 

Street with number Y Introduction 
City and State J 

Salutation 

Body of the letter ****** 



Street with number 

City, State, and date 



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Complimentary close 



Signature 



INTRODUCTION 



194 Franklin St. , 

Boston, Mass,, Sept. 15, 1914. 

The Crown Shoe Company, 
260 Spring St., 

Brockton, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

We understand that all the factories in Brockton 
are to be closed for three or four days, owing to the 
Brockton fair. 

If your shops are to be closed during that time, we 
should like to arrange to set up the blower and piping 
on those days, as you requested in your letter of the 
10th inst. 

Please let us know to-day or to-morrow whether this 
arrangement is satisfactory. 

Yours truly, 

(Signature) 



PART ONE 
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE LETTER 

LESSON 1: THE FIRST IMPRESSION 

A BUSINESS man judges his unknown correspondent by 
the appearance and make-up of his letters. The conventional 
forms now used have been adopted because they were found 
to be best suited for the purpose. Any deviation from them 
invites criticism and creates an unfavorable impression of the 
writer, just as an unusual style or color in a suit of clothes 
draws one's attention from the man who wears it to the 
unusual appearance of the suit. 

Innovations may sometimes be introduced with effect, but 
it is a risky experiment. There is usually a reason for the 
things that exist, and the present forms have been evolved 
from experience and found most acceptable. Therefore, a 
deviation from them must be made with caution, if at all. 
A well arranged letter, like a well dressed person, does not 
attract attention because of its striking appearance. The good 
taste and harmony of the letter will do its work without mak- 
ing an appeal directly to the attention of the reader. 

It goes without saying that the spelling and capitaliza- 
tion must be perfect; the punctuation and penmanship (or 
typewriting) good; form and arrangement according to the 
accepted style; stationery of good quality; and the pages 
free from blots, erasures, and finger marks. 

A HE materials used for correspondence should conform to 
the accepted standards. Every letter sent out by a business 
house should be written on business stationery of good qual- 



THE FIRST IMPRESSION 5 

ity having a printed or engraved letter head. Business letter 
paper is in single sheets of about 8 J by 1 1 inches and usually 
white. The size may vary a little, and some firms use tinted 
paper; but the 8| by 11 in white is always a standard. The 
envelopes should match the paper in color and quality, the 
usual size being aJbout 3| inches by 6^, known as No. 6^. 
Official envelopes are 9 or 10 inches long and are used for 
official letters, manuscripts, and bulky communications. 

A person who is not in business may write his business letters 
on his professional or social stationery. 

When writing a business letter, write on but one side of the 
paper, otherwise it will be difficult to copy and not so con- 
venient for filing when it reaches its destination. In case the 
letter requires a second page, an unprinted sheet, or "sec- 
ond," is used. 

A HERE is no question about the greater importance of 
the subject matter of the letter, but a good letter will be 
still better and make a better impression if it is well arranged 
on the page. Judge the appearance of the letter as you would 
a picture. See if it is properly centered, and harmoniously 
arranged. (See letter on page 3.) 

Margins on letters are for effect and convenience. The 
margins at the top and bottom are governed by the length 
of the letter. The writing -should be centered so that the top 
and bottom margins are about equal. The left-hand and the 
right-hand margins should be at least an inch wide. When 
the letter is short, they may be wider, thus giving the letter 
a better balance on the page. Especial care should be taken 
to make the right-hand margin as even as possible. It can- 
not, of course, be as even as the left-hand margin; but the 
straighter it is, the better the appearance of the letter. 

Every paragraph should be indented so as to begin at the 
paragraph, or second, margin. Different phases of the same 
subject may also be in separate paragraphs. 



6 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

When writing a letter concerning several subjects, discuss 
each fully before beginning the next. In answering such a 
letter, it is usually best to take up the subjects in the order 
presented. 

Al LETTER may be divided into seven p^rts; namely, head- 
ing, introduction, salutation, body, complimentary close, 
signature, and direction. 

1. The heading consists of the address of the writer and the 
date. 

2. The introduction, or inside address, consists of the name, 
title, and full address of the person written to. 

3. The salutation is the term of respect with which the 
correspondent is greeted. 

4. The body of the letter is, of course, the letter itself — 
the message. 

5. The complimentary close is the term of courtesy with 
which the letter is closed. It corresponds to the " Good day " 
at the close of an interview. 

6. The signature referred to is, of course, the signature of 
the writer of the letter. 

7. The direction (or superscription) is on the envelope, and 
consists of the name, title, and full address of the person 
written to. 

PRACTICE 

Copy, in your letter book, or on a sheet of letter paper, the letter given 
on page 3. 

LESSON 2: THE HEADING 

JNO matter how frequently one writes to the same person, 
the full address of the writer and the date should be given 
in each letter. The address is given that there may be no 
excuse for a misdirected answer to the letter. The date is 



THE HEADING 7 

useful for the purpose of filing and reference and indicates 
the place the letter has in a series of correspondence on a 
given subject. 

The street and number given in the heading will appear 
on the envelope containing the answer and will insure prompt 
delivery. When written from a club, hotel, college, or the 
like, the name of the same should be given in the heading. 

Care should be taken in dating the letter, thereby avoiding 
annoyance. Confusion is sure to arise if, in writing the date, 
figures are used instead of the name of the month; e.g., July 
10, if written 7/10, may mean July 10th or October 7th. 
There is no way of telling which was intended, as in the 
United States the name of the month is usually written before 
the day of the month, while in Europe the reverse is often 
true. 

It is never safe, in writing from a city or town in the United 
States, to omit the name of the state, no matter how well 
known the city maj^be. Hundreds of towns and cities are 
duplicated in name in other states, and annoying mistakes 
and delays are sure to occur unless this precaution is taken. 
There are several New Yorks, six Chicagos, thirteen Bostons, 
sixteen Brooklyns, sixteen Denvers, and twenty-seven Cleve- 
lands in the United States. The name of the state is, there- 
fore, an essential part of the heading. 

_LHE heading may occupy one, two, or three lines, depend- 
ing upon the nature of the writer's address. The arrange- 
ment must depend somewhat upon the length of the name of 
the city, and the width of the paper used. (See page 5 for 
size of business stationery.) As a general rule, the heading 
should begin about two and one half inches from the top of 
the page and about the middle from left to right. When 
printed or engraved as a part of the letter head, it fre- 
quently differs in arrangement (for the sake of balance) 
from the illustrations given on the next page. 



8 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

A comma should be placed after the name of the street, 
the city, the state (or country, if foreign) and the day of the 
month. A period should follow each abbreviation and the 
year. However, punctuation, except for abbreviations, may 
be omitted at the end of a line; but whether omitted or used, 
the style decided upon should be used consistently, for all 
similar purposes. Below, both styles are shown. 



(i) 



Des Moines. la., Nov. 12, 1913. 



(2) 



963 Washington St. 

Boston, Mass., Oct. 1, 1914 



(3) 



Room 78, Hamlin Hall, 

American College, 

Rome, Italy, Aug. 2, 1913. 



THE INTRODUCTION 9 

PRACTICE 

Arrange and punctuate the following, as shown in the illustrations given: 

1. Eng London June 1910 7 

2. Boston 1911 Nov Mass 20 

3. 1909 dec 21 France paris 

4. rome italy 29 august 1911 

5. Washington st 345 buffalo sept n.y. 3 1910 

G. 1909 47 old south building Boston Oct mass 21 

7. 1912 11 dec Savoy hotel chicago ill 

8. wabash, Av jan. 10 Chicago 1914. Ill, 961. 

9. Feb. 21 des moines 1914 iowa, 

10. bridgewater Mar. 4 mass 1914, 

11. room 412 Home Bank Block, Colorado, denver 1040 main St. 

12. West Springfield, mass., July 4, 1914 

13. 1914 Jan. first 106 Commercial St. N.H. Concord, 

14. Iowa, glenwood 1914 march 10 

15. 279 Washington st. Sept 4 Lincoln, nebr, 1913 

16. 10 Weybossett St Oct 3 Providence r.i. 1913 

17. Glenwood springs, Mar 10 1914, Colo, 

18. 1914, eleventh feb. Cal, san francisco 162 High street 

19. Victoria St 590 mar. 19 montreal 1914 Canada 

LESSON 3: THE INTRODUCTION 

CyOURTESY demands that some title should be used when 
writing a letter, except when writing to a corporation or a 
society. It is a mark of respect which no one can afford to 
omit. There are a few people in the world who ignore all 
titles, even the common title of "Mr.", but it shows a lack of 
politeness and refinement which is inexcusable. 

Titles may be divided into three classes; namely, business, 
professional, and official. 

1_HE business titles in common use are Mr., Messrs., Esq., 
Miss, and Mrs. 



10 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Mr. (formerly Master) may be used for men of all classes, 
high or low, titled or untitled; and it always precedes the 
name. Mr. replaces all other titles as a man rises in distinc- 
tion: we say, "Mr. Lincoln/ 5 "Honorable," "His Excel- 
lency/' "LL.D.," etc. would be less expressive of respect. 
In speaking of persons of the highest distinction, we omit all 
titles. For example, we say "George Washington" rather 
•than "Mr. Washington." 

Muster is never abbreviated and is used in addressing a 
boy; as, "Master Willis Rowe." At about fourteen years of 
age the boy may be addressed as "Mr." 

Messrs. — There being no English plural for "Mr.," we 
use the French plural, Messieurs, abbreviated Messrs. It is 
used in addressing a firm composed of two or more men; as, 
"Messrs. Packard & Keith." It may also be used in speak- 
ing of a number of men who are not associated in business; 
as, "Messrs. Grant, Wilson, Scott, and Brown." 

Esq., the abbreviation for Esquire, though not a generally 
accepted business title, is frequently used in business, in the 
United States, in the place of "Mr." In England it has nearly 
replaced the use of "Mr." 

Miss is the correct title for an unmarried woman. It is 
not an abbreviation and, therefore, should not be followed 
by a period. If the woman has a professional title, it should 
be used in place of "Miss"; as, "Professor Emma Jones," 
"Dr. Mary A. Grant." The plural of Miss is Misses; as, "The 
Misses Lara way and Russell," "The Misses Palmer." 

Mrs., the abbreviation of Mistress, is used in addressing 
a married woman. Her title may be prefixed to her husband's 
name; as, "Mrs. Henry Smith"; or she may be addressed by 
her Christian name; as, "Mrs. Clara Smith." If she is a 
widow, the Christian name is used. 

Mesdames, abbreviated Mmes., the French plural for 
Mistress, is used in addressing two or more married women, 
or in addressing a group of women of whom only one is 



THE INTRODUCTION 11 

married. A firm composed of Mrs. Williams and Miss Baker 
would be addressed as "Mmes. Williams & Baker." In ad- 
dressing a firm composed of both men and women, the title 
"Messrs." would be used. 

In writing to a corporation, no title is used; as, "The Adams 
Express Company." 

XHE professional titles in common use for the clergy are 
Reverend (Rev.) and Doctor (Dr.). A pastor, priest, or rabbi 
should be addressed as The Reverend; as, "The Reverend 
Alfred Skinner"; or, if the Christian name is not known, 
"Mr." may be substituted for it; as, "The Rev. Mr. Skin- 
ner." He may be addressed as "The Rev. Prof. Skinner," 
provided he has the title of "Professor" also. A Bishop 
should be addressed as The Right Reverend; as, "The Rt. 
Rev. Robert Maclntyre, D.D., Bishop of California." 

For Roman Catholic Clergy : — A Cardinal : His Eminence; 
as, "His Eminence James Cardinal Gibbons." An Archbishop : 
Most Reverend; as, "Most Reverend James Edward Quigley, 
D.D., Archbishop of Chicago." A Bishop : Right Reverend; as, 
"Rt. Rev. Edward O'Connor, D.D." 

For a physician, use Dr. before the name, or M.D. following 
it. For a dentist, use Dr. before the name, or D.D.S. or D.M.D. 
following it. 

A.B. or B.A Bachelor of Arts. 

A.M. or M.A Master of Arts. 

B.C.L . Bachelor of Civil Law. 

B.D Bachelor of Divinity. 

B.M. or M.B Bachelor of Medicine. 

B.S Bachelor of Surgery. 

B.S Bachelor of Science. 

C.E Civil Engineer. 

D.D.S Doctor of Dental Surgery. 

Dist. Atty District Attorney. 

D.M.D. Doctor of Dental Medicine. 

D.Sc Doctor of Science. 



12 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

D.D. (or D.T.) Doctor of Divinity (or Theology). 

D.V.M Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. 

F.R.S Fellow of the Royal Society. 

J.C.D Doctor of Civil Law (juris civitatis) . 

Lit.D. or D.Lit . . . Doctor of Literature. 

LL.B. or B.LL Bachelor of Laws. 

LL.D. Doctor of Laws. 

LL.M Master of Laws. 

M.C Member of Congress. 

M.D. or D.M Doctor of Medicine. 

M.P Member of Parliament. 

Mus. B Bachelor of Music. 

Mus. D Doctor of Music. 

Ph.B Bachelor of Philosophy. 

Ph.D Doctor of Philosophy. 

R.A Member of the Royal Academy. 

S.T.D Doctor of Sacred Theology. 

V.S Veterinary Surgeon. 

Literary and scholastic titles — degrees conferred by an 
institution of learning — are not necessarily prof essional titles. 
If the bearer of the degree is a professor of academic standing, 
the title Professor may precede the name and degree. 

As a rule, however, the name is not at the same time both 
preceded and followed by a title — never where one title in- 
cludes the other, or where it is synonymous with it or incon- 
sistent with it. A person may have several scholastic titles; 
but, with the exception of a doctorate, — for example, Ph.D. 
or Dr., — they are not generally used. 

The title "Professor" can be acquired in one of two ways: 
(1) by election or appointment to the head of a department 
in an educational institution which has the right to confer 
degrees under its corporate seal; (2) by courtesy, when a 
person becomes a specialist in any branch of science or edu- 
cation. But the title has been made so common in the United 
States by such persons as trick roller-skaters, dancing mas- 
ters, and sleight-of-hand performers that it is falling into 
disuse by those who are rightfully entitled to it. 



THE INTRODUCTION 13 

OFFICIAL titles are those attached to a particular office, 
and are used by the holder of the office only during his term 
of service; for example: — 

President (Pres.) Member of Congress (M.C.) 

Vice-President (Vice-Pres.) Member of Parliament (M.P.) 

Secretary (Sec.) His Excellency (H.E.) 

Treasurer (Treas.) His Honor 

The President of the United States should be addressed 
"To the President, Executive Mansion, Washington, D.C." 
"Sir" or "Mr. President" are appropriate salutations. 

Members of the Cabinet may be addressed as in the 
following example: "To the Honorable William Jennings 
Bryan, Secretary of State"; or "To the Honorable Secretary 
of State"; or "Hon. William Jennings Bryan." 

For members of Congress, use M.C. after the name. For 
Senators, use Hon. For judges, use Hon.; as, "The Hon. 
Lloyd Chamberlain, Judge of [name of the court]." For the 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, use "To the Honorable 
[name], Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United 
States." 

While the title "Esquire" (abbreviated "Esq.") belongs primarily to 
the legal profession, it is used in addressing mayors, members of the city 
council, justices of the peace, prominent men, and State officials other 
than the Governor. 

Officers of the Army and the Navy are addressed thus: 
"Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood"; "Maj. John T. Knight"; 
"Admiral George Dewey"; "Rear-Admiral William P. Pot- 
ter"; "Commander Henry B. Wilson"; "Capt. Otis Har- 
per." 

Admiral may be abbreviated Adm. ; and Commander, Com. 

XHE name or title should begin at the regular margin; the 
second line of the introduction (the address) at the second, 



14 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

or paragraph, margin; and the third line should begin a cor- 
responding distance to the right of the second line. 





375 Washington St. 










Boston, Mass., 


Feb. 


8, 


1914 


Mr. John Jones 










650 Main St. 










St. Louis, 


Mo. 








Dear Sir:- 











PRACTICE 

Using your present address for the heading, begin letters to the follow- 
ing persons, using appropriate titles. Do not write the salutation or the 
body of the letter. 

1. John Lane, a citizen, Silver City, Nev. 

2. Harding Davis, a lawyer, 264 Main St., St. Louis, Mo. 

3. Clara Barstow, a teacher, Cedar Rapids, la. 

4. Louise Linwood, wife of C. K. Linwood, 26 Arlington St., Cincin- 
nati, O. 

5. C. W. Johnson and Wm. J. Howe, partners in business, Orin, Wash. 

6. Alexander White, pastor of the M.E. Church, St. Albans, Vt. 

7. J. C. Henderson, member of Congress, Washington, D.C. 

8. W. T. Sherman, at the head of the army, West Point, Va. 

9. Walter H. Page, American Ambassador, American Embassy, Lon- 
don, Eng. 

10. Walter Johnson, a business man, Auburn, N.Y. 

11. W. B. Reid, a lawyer, 254 Grand St., St. Paul, Minn. 

12. Dunbar & Sons, merchants, Cleveland, Ohio. 

13. Allen Hudson, a clergyman, 284 Bay St., Kansas City, Mo. 



THE SALUTATION 15 

14. Helen Goodwin, wife of Dr. E. E. Goodwin, 26 Battles St., Scranton, 
Pa. 

15. Martha Robinson, widow of H. D. Robinson, Council Bluffs, la. 

16. Clara Williams, a dressmaker, 284 West St., Baltimore, Md. 

17. A. D. T. Hamlin, an architect, 226 E. 41st St., New York, N.Y. 

18. Stanley White, head of Dept. of Economics, Boston University, 
Boston, Mass. 

19. Archie Campbell, a young school boy, 88 Hope St., Baltimore, Md. 

20. Leonard Wood, a general in the army, Wheeling, W. Va. 

21. Allan Southworth, an admiral, Carleton Mansion, Atlantic City, N.J. 

22. Elmer Burkett, a congressman, Kearney, Nebr. 

23. William Kennedy, mayor, City Hall, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 

24. The President of the United States (Washington address). 

25. Wm. Jennings Bryan, Sec. of State, at his home in Lincoln, Nebr. 

26. Thomas Nelson Page, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, American Embassy, 
Rome, Italy. 

27. Oscar Heizer, U.S. Consul, American Consulate, Constantinople, 
Turkey. 

28. Wm. T. Ormiston, Doctor of Philosophy. Robert College, Constanti- 
nople, Turkey. 

29. Hugh P. Hughes, member of the Supreme Court, Judicial Building, 
Washington, D.C. 

30. E. S. Tracy, a dentist, Brockton, Mass. 



LESSON 4: THE SALUTATION 

THE salutation in a letter is what the "Good morning" 
is in the personal interview — the greeting. To omit it shows 
a marked discourtesy. A salutation should always be used, 
except when (1) writing public letters and (2) addressing a 
body of men or women when the individuals are not thought 
of. " 

The most common business salutations are Dear Sir, My 
dear Sir, Gentlemen, and Dear Madam. 

Use "Dear Sir " in addressing a man, and use " Gentlemen " 
in addressing a firm or corporation. A woman should be ad- 



16 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

dressed as "Dear Madam" whether she be married or not. 
In addressing a young lady who is in, or just past, her teens, 
it is better to repeat the name; as, "Dear Miss Jackson. " 

In writing to a firm composed partly of men and partly 
of women, some omit the salutation, but the better way is to 
use "Gentlemen." If the firm is composed of two or more 
women, use "Mmes." (Mesdames). 

XHE first and the most important words in the salutation 
are capitalized. That is, neither the word dear nor any similar 
adjective is capitalized unless it stands as the first word 
or as a substitute for the name of the person addressed. 

The punctuation following the salutation is not agreed 
upon; the comma, colon, colon and dash, and comma and 
dash are variously used. In very formal letters, — letters to 
the Governor of a State, for example, — " Sir" is often used 
and is followed by a colon. The body of such a letter is begun 
on the line below the salutation. 

\V HEN there are but two lines in the address, the saluta- 
tion may be begun about three times the width of the usual 
margin from the edge of the paper, or at the margin. If the 
address occupies three lines, the salutation may be begun on 
the marginal line or on the paragraph line or second margin. 
The arrangement in Model 3 in this lesson is now more used 
than any other. 

0) 



Mr. 0. M. Grant, 
Rutland, Vt . 

Dear Sir,- (Body of the letter) or 
(Body of the letter) 



THE SALUTATION 17 

(2) 



Mr. 0. M. Grant. 
Rutland, Vt. 

Dear Sir, 



(3) 



Messrs. Brown & Jones, 

268 Washington St. , 
Albany, N. Y. 

Gentlemen, 

(Body of the letter begins here.) 



The following arrangement of the introduction is now used 
by a few concerns. It saves a little time in typewriting, 
but has little else to commend it. 



(4) 



Messrs. Brown & Jones, 
268 Washington St., 
Albany. N. Y, 

Gentlemen, 

(Body of the letter) 



18 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

PRACTICE 

Study the arrangement and punctuation of the illustrations given, then 
begin letters to the following persons, using appropriate titles and saluta- 
tions. Use your present address for the heading in each case. 

1. Theo. Wilson, Westfield, Mass. — a printer. 

2. Samuel Johnson, 102 High St., Cleveland, Ohio — a clergyman. 

3. John Y. Adams, 106 Main St., Princeton, N.J. — a lawyer. 

4. Hanson & Co., 64 Fifth Av., Baltimore, Md. — merchants. 

5. James Nicholas, 67 North Main St., Omaha, Nebr. — a physician. 

6. D. B. Anderson, head of the Department of Mathematics in Western 
University. 

7. H. K. Renshaw, member of Congress (Congress now in session). 

8. L. M. Cutler, Creston, la. — a graduate dentist. 

9. Thomas Nelson Page, United States Ambassador to Italy. 

10-39. Write appropriate salutations for the exercises given at the end 
of Lesson 2. 

LESSON 5: THE CLOSING 

JL HE complimentary close is the term of courtesy or respect 
used in closing the letter — the leave-taking. It would be 
as disrespectful to omit the complimentary close as to omit 
the salutation previously referred to. The forms in common 
use are: Yours truly, Truly yours, Yours very truly, Very 
truly yours, Yours respectfully (to superiors). 

The complimentary close should be begun at a point about 
midway from left to right, and there should be nothing on 
the line with it. The first word only is capitalized. 

JL HE signature should be as plain and clear as the writer 
can make it. One who signs his name often is likely to write 
it carelessly. Some think that it shows individuality to sign 
their letters in an undecipherable scrawl. This is annoying 
in the extreme, and the sender of such a letter ought not to 
be astonished if he never receives an answer. Bankers, espe- 
cially, in the past have been led into this habit, supposing that 



THE CLOSING 19 

the more complicated the signature the more difficult it 
would be to forge; but such is not the case, as any hand- 
writing expert will tell you. The plainer the writing, the more 
difficult it is to imitate. 

A woman should put her title in parenthesis before her 
name, in writing to a stranger, otherwise he will not know 
how to address her. Examples: "(Miss) La vinia Grant," 
"(Mrs.) Amy Stone." 

When the firm or company name is signed, the name or the 
initials of the one signing it should be written below the 
signature; as, 

Seller $ Co. 

per j$. 

Put the signature on the line next below that of the com- 
plimentary close and far enough to the right to bring the end 
of the name about even with the right-hand margin. 







• 




228 Cottage St. , 






South Bend, Ind. , 






May 1, 1914. 




Messrs. A. C. Glassburn & Co. 






398 Winter St. , 






Detroit, Mich. 






Gentlemen :- 






(Body) 


Yours truly, 

(Signature) 





20 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

PRACTICE 

I. Using your present address for the heading, arrange the following 
material in proper form as illustrated above. Supply titles, salutations, 
closings, etc.: — 

1. Forbes & Wallace, 264 High St., Westfield, Mass. 

2. The Shepard Company, 246 Westminster St., Providence, R.I. 

3. The Rev. Julian S. Wadsworth, 102 Adelaide Av., St. Louis, Mo. 

4. Esther Johnson, a teacher, 948 Elmwood Av., Louisville, Ky. 

5. H. C. Malbon, dentist, Times Building, New Orleans, La. 

6. H. A. Bowtell, physician, Glenwood, Cal. 

7. Lavinia Bowen, wife of M. K. Bowen, 242 Maplewood Av., Hart- 
ford, Conn. 

8. The mayor of your city. 

9. The secretary of the nearest Y.M.C.A. 

10. The Governor of your State. 

11. The General Passenger Agent of the C.B. & Q.R.R., Chicago, 111. 

12. Stan wood & White, married women in business, 364 West Elm St., 
Springfield, Mo. 

II. Review the preceding lessons and be prepared to answer the follow- 
ing questions: — 

1. Name the parts of a letter. 

2. Of what does the heading consist? 

3. How many kinds of headings are there? 

4. How should each kind of heading be arranged? 

5. Indicate the location of the name and title in the introduction. 

6. Mention five salutations in common use. 

7. What should govern us in the choice of salutations and complimentary 
closings? 

8. What is the purpose of the complimentary close? 

9. What is the size of business letter paper? 

10. What size envelope is most commonly used in business correspond- 
ence? 

11. Give rules for paragraphing. 

12. Why should the arrangement of letters conform to custom? 



FOLDING AND DIRECTING 



21 



LESSON 6: FOLDING AND DIRECTING 

IjETTERS written on business stationery, previously de- 
scribed, should be folded as follows: (1) Bring the bottom 
edge of the paper to a point within one half inch of the top, 
then crease at the fold; (2) fold the right third of the letter 
toward the left-hand edge; (3) fold the left-hand third (pre- 
ferably a little less than one-third) toward the right. (See the 
illustration below.) (4) Then take the letter in the right hand 
and insert in the envelope with the left-hand crease downward. 




The folding of the letter, just shown, is known as the 
long fold. The short fold is made by folding the paper from 
the bottom so as to leave a margin or space of about one 



22 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



and one half inches at the top. This is done for advertising 
purposes, as the firm name and some distinctive feature of 



H.S.SHELDON 

ARCHITECT 
BOSTON. MASS. 



THE SHORT FOLD 




the business meets the eye of the reader before the letter is 
fully open. 

The second and 
third folds and 
the insertion into 
the envelope are 
the same as pre- 
viously shown. 

Matter for offi- 
cial envelopes is 
folded and in- 
serted as follows: 
Fold the top third 
of the page down, 
then fold the bot- 
tom third up- 
ward, then insert 
with the folded 
edge down. 



FOLDING FOR OFFICIAL ENVELOPE 



-^»^ 




INSERTION 



Note. The folding is more satisfactory when the creasing is done with 
a paper knife or folder or with the face of the thumb nail. 



FOLDING AND DIRECTING 23 

±0 save the time required to write the direction on the 
envelope, some business houses are using envelopes with a 
transparent section. The letter is then folded so that the 
inside address will show through the transparent section, 
thus making the name and address in the letter serve also 
for the direction. (See illustration below.) 



After 5 Days return to 
The Provident Savings Co. 
San Francisco. CaL 




\ 


1 yy Messrs. 


y <^w\ 

Parker Co . y / ^^ yx \ 
764 Wabash Av/yS ^y 

Chicago, l\\. ,/y / J 


i 





In Europe, except in England, the large square envelope is 
used almost exclusively. The letter, for this kind of envelope, 
is folded from bottom to top, then by one fold from right 
to left. 

JLHE direction is the name, title, and address of the one 
written to, as it appears on the envelope. It is the same, ex- 
cept in arrangement, as the name, title, and address at the be- 
ginning of the letter. It is highly important that it should 
be correct and plainly written. There are so many persons, 
as well as cities, of the same or similar names, that letters are 
likely to go astray, unless great care is exercised. 

A certain letter addressed to "Mr. John Smith, Chicago, 
111.," went to sixteen John Smiths before it reached the right 
one. This meant a delay of nearly a week; besides, fifteen had 
read what was intended for the sixteenth John Smith alone. 



24 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Thousands of letters, many of which contain money, go 
to the Dead Letter Office each year because of wrong or in- 
sufficient direction. It is time absolutely thrown away to 
spend labor and thought upon a letter, then address it so 
poorly that it never reaches its destination. The postal 
authorities are very skillful in deciphering poor writing and 
supplying missing parts of defective addresses; but letter 
writers should try to decrease, rather than increase, their 
difficulties. If the writer of a letter gives his full address in 
the heading of the letter and signs his name plainly, there is 
no excuse for a wrongly addressed answer. 

J.HE name should be about the middle of the envelope 
from top to bottom and begun one third or one fourth the 
length of the envelope from the left-hand end. The postal 
authorities prefer the following arrangement: the name and 
title composing the first line; the name of the city on the 
second; the name of the state on the third. The street and 
number, box number, room number, the name of the person 
in whose care it was sent, the word "Forward," "Transient," 
or any other special direction belongs in the lower left-hand 
corner of the envelope. This is their preference; and as they 
are the ones most concerned, their wish should be respected. 

The mail clerks on the trains must take letters from a 
table, arrange them right side up, read the addresses, and 
"throw" them into the proper mail bag at the rate of 33 per 
minute — this, too, on a rapidly moving train. They are ac- 
customed to look in a certain place on the envelope for the 
desired part of the address, and they are delayed if the part 
sought for is not in its accustomed place. 

There is a tendency when addressing envelopes with the 
typewriter to write the name of the city and the state on the 
same line. When this is done, the street and number may 
occupy the second line of the address — the city and state, 
the third. (See illustration, page 26.) 



FOLDING AND DIRECTING 25 

The stamp should be right side up in the upper right-hand 
corner of the envelope. It ought not to be necessary to men- 
tion this, but it is. When the stamp is in any place except the 
proper place, it is an annoyance to the postal clerk in cancel- 
ing it and a mild insult to the one receiving the letter. 



Corner 
Card 

Name and title 


City 




State 


Street and No. 

(or other special direction) 





The name and address of the writer is sometimes printed 
on the back of the envelope instead of in the upper left-hand 
corner on the face. (See page 27.) 



RICHARD YOUNG 








RUTLAND, VT. 










Messrs . 


Hayes & Co. 




• 




Boston 


Mass. 


240 Tremont Street 









26 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



RICHARD YOUNG 








RUTLAND. VT. 










Messrs. 


Hayes & Co. 
240 Tremont St. 








Boston, 


Mass. 



AFTER 5 DAYS RETURN TO 
THE BAY STATE CO. 

brockton, Mass. 



Robert Scott, Esq.. 



London, E. C. 



Eng. 



7 Paternoster Row. 



It is urged by some that the above arrangement of address be reversed, 
and the name of the state be written first, the name of the city second, 
and the name of the person third, that being the order in which the postal 
employees read the direction. However, the present arrangement is now 
an established custom, and any change would lead to confusion. The pos- 
tal clerks know where to look for the part of the address desired, and it is 
as easily read in one position as in another. 



FOLDING AND DIRECTING 



27 



When the introduction of the letter is like Model 4, Lesson 
$, the direction on the envelope is as follows: — 



RICHARD YOUNG 






RUTLAND. VT. 


Messrs. Hayes & Co. 
240 Tremont St. 






Boston, Mass. 







A letter properly folded and inserted and opened as shown 
below will, when removed from the envelope, be right 
end up, and face toward the reader, ready for 
reading. A single trial will prove the con- 
venience of this plan. 

AF every letter writer would write his 
name and address, or have it printed, 



in the upper left- 
hand corner of 
the envelope, or 
across the end, 
or on the back, 
all misdirected 
letters would be 
returned to the 
writers by the 
post office. 



28 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

A former Postmaster-General said, — "Now that I am on the subject 
of losses in the mails, I will tell you some surprising facts. Of more than 
six and a half millions of pieces of mail matter received at the Dead Letter 
Office in a year, only a million contain anything of value. It is almost 
incredible, but true, that nearly half of these letters contain no signatures 
by means of which they could be returned to the writers. They consist, 
in the main, of letters from one member of the family to another and 
are signed, 'Your loving husband/ * Harry/ 'Your affectionate mother/ 
or 'Your own little wife/ and so on. 

" Last year there came to the Dead Letter Office eleven thousand letters 
which contained lottery tickets, and two hundred thousand contained 
pictures and papers unfit for circulation. Of course, all these were destroyed. 
Half a million letters came from foreign countries, and these were returned 
to the countries from which they came. Two hundred thousand letters 
were restored unopened to the writers. Nearly three hundred thousand 
letters which contained enclosures were restored to the writers, and about 
three and three-quarter millions were destroyed, it being impossible to 
find the owners. 

" I wish the people who use the mails could be made to understand that 
the observance of a few simple rules would greatly reduce the number of 
lost letters. A good practice is always to scan the address of the letter 
before posting it. All writers of letters do not care to place their names and 
addresses upon the corner of the envelope; but if they would do so, there 
would be fewer undelivered letters. We could n't by law or regulation 
require the affectionate mothers and wives and husbands and sweethearts 
and sons and daughters to sign their full names and have their addresses 
either at the top or bottom of their letters; but if they would do this, 
a million and a half more letters would be restored to their owners each 
year." 



PRACTICE 

Take envelopes, or pieces of paper the size of an envelope, and address 
them to the following, using suitable titles: — 

1. The Boston & Maine R.R., 116 Canal St., Boston, Mass. 

2. Charles Cunningham, Esq., Glenwood, Iowa. 

3. Howe & Johnson, 202 Broadway, New York City. 

4. Theo. Ames, % James Harding, Hotel de Europe, Cairo, Egypt. 

5. William Thurston, Box 1065, Liverpool, Eng. 

6-15. Also first ten persons mentioned at the end of Lesson 3. 



PART TWO 
THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE LETTER 

LESSON 7: ORDERS 

A HE second part of the letter — the message — is the 
vital part, and it must have tone and quality if it is to do the 
work for which it is intended. 

The business letter is a potent force in modern business- 
building and, rightly used, will enlarge the horizon of any 
business. Whether the house does a mail-order business or 
not, the letter may be made a valuable aid in selling. Every 
acknowledgment of an order or payment, every answer to in- 
quiry, or adjustment of complaint, has great possibilities for 
attracting orders. 

IT is not sufficient that the writer of the letter merely have 
something to say; he must say it in a clear, forceful way. 
This strength and clearness of expression comes from a 
knowledge of the meaning of words. Words offer a profit- 
able field of study for every one and doubly so for the business 
letter writer. A good word student is usually a good corre- 
spondent. He knows the value of each word he uses, and 
the reader is never left in doubt as to the meaning intended. 

"The message comes on the wings of clear, exact, strong, convincing, 
well-known words and makes its impression. Alexander Hamilton said, 
'The choice of words requires the greatest faculty of the human mind — 
selection.' Hawthorne speaks of the ' unaccountable spell that lurks in a 
syllable.' 

"And yet there is no ' black art' about it, the study of words is one that 
will pay any man well for his time. 'Every word Webster spoke weighed 
a pound.' 'Every word came rolling like a wave of the Atlantic, three thou- 



30 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

sand miles long.' And there is character in words: 'eager words' — 'weak 
words' — 'sick words' — 'tired words' — 'faint words' — 'brave words' 
— Shakespeare observes, and 'successful words.' 'A word,' he says, 'is 
short and quick, but works a long result; therefore, look well to words.'" * 

Simple words are much the stronger for commercial corres- 
pondence as well as for commercial life generally. Clean- 
cut Anglo-Saxon is the strongest and safest thought carrier 
we have. 

IjUSINESS houses are making an effort to get away from 
the stilted, stereotyped style of letter writing which has been 
too evident in the past. More business is being done each 
year by correspondence. The letter goes when and where 
it is impossible for the salesman to go; and if it is to do the 
work of the salesman, it must be straightforward, clear, con- 
vincing, tingling with life and bristling with personality. The 
old "In-reply-to-yours-of-lGth-inst.-we-beg-to-state-that- 
we- are- sending - you - under - separate - cover - our - latest- cata- 
logue-etc." style takes the short cut tqthe waste basket. The 
modern business letter must be of the informal, man-to-man 
style — one should write just as he would talk to the other 
fellow were he only across the desk from him. 

The natural, conversational style is by far the most effec- 
tive in letter writing; yet, in writing, as in speech, the writer 
must adapt his style somewhat to the person to whom he is 
writing. The busy man of affairs wants all the essential facts 
in a concise form, while the out-of-town customer who 
receives but few letters is pleased and rather complimented 
by receiving letters somewhat longer than usual, giving the de- 
tails more fully. 

J_N ordering goods, the articles should be so definitely de- 
scribed that there can be no doubt as to what is wanted. Noth- 
ing could be more indefinite than to say, "Send me 10 sets 

1 Business Men's Library, vol. iv, p. 13. 



ORDERS 31 

of Shakespeare's works," as his works are bound in all kinds 
of ways from single plays in paper covers at a few cents a copy 
to complete sets costing $40 or more. The name of the edi- 
tion and the style of binding must be given when ordering 
books. 

When catalogues are obtainable, the article may be ordered 
simply by number. In the case of fabrics, there are so many 
grades and shades of any given one that description is often 
difficult. It is best, in such cases, to send samples of the fabric 
desired. Pictures of large articles, cut from catalogues or 
other advertisements, are a good means of identification. 
It is often of assistance to the sales people to know the price 
of the article you are ordering, especially when samples are 
not at hand and accurate description is impossible. It is better 
to write for samples or for further information about an article 
when in doubt about any essential feature. 

When more than one item is ordered, each item should be 
given a line by itself (and more if necessary), and each of 
these lines should be begun at the paragraph margin. 

SHIPPING directions and terms are a necessary part 
of such a letter. They should state exactly how the goods 
are to be sent, whether by parcel post, express, or freight, 
and in either of the last two cases, by what road or steam- 
ship line. 

Unless the terms of sale are clearly understood by both 
the buyer and the seller, they also should be mentioned in 
the order. 

SUCH expressions as " send at once " or "at your earliest 
convenience" have been exhausted by overwork and now 
have no force whatever. Any merchant who expects to suc- 
ceed will attend to all business matters promptly without 
being told to do so. When nothing is said about the time of 
shipment, it is understood that the goods will be shipped 



32 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



The Place 
for Quality 



C. M. BLOCK 

SHOE DEALER 



School Shoes 
a Specialty 



TROY, OHIO, Aug. 12, 1914 

Messrs. Carson & Co. 
33 Front St. 

Chicago, 111. 

Gentlemen:- Please send me by American Express, on' 
account, 30 days, the following goods: 

50 pairs Boy's blucher, calf, "Walkover" 
shoes, sizes 3 to 6. 

75 pairs Misses, button, Oxford, vici kid 
shoes, sizes 1 to 4. 

Please ship these shoes so that I may have them on 
sale a full week before the beginning of school, which 
opens Sept. 5th. These shoes are for the school trade and 
will be of little use to me unless they are in stock by 
Aug. 28th. 

Yours truly, • 



Gfyf&6*c£ 



within a reasonable time. Should the goods be needed in a 
hurry, the writer should state carefully when he wants them 
and give his reason for haste. This will secure prompt atten- 
tion or even make it a "rush order," while no notice would 
be taken of the worn-out "at once" expression. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF ORDERS 33 

PRACTICE 

Using your present address for a heading, write appropriate and definite 
letters to cover the following orders, combining two or more orders into 
one letter where it is reasonable to do so : — 

1. 1000 bu. wheat (spring wheat No. 2). 
500 bu. corn (yellow, grade No. 2). 

2. Six kinds of groceries. 

3. A quantity of wood (for fuel). 

4. One rug. 

5. A set of Shakespeare's works. 

6. A dictionary. 

7. The World's Work, published by Doubleday, Page and Company, 
Garden City, Long Island, N.Y.; $3.00 a year. 

8. Sleeping car accommodations from your city to St. Louis, Mo. (or, to 
San Francisco, if you live in or near St. Louis) . 

9. One hundred copies of the bookkeeping text now used in your school. 

10. One pair of shoes from The Rice Hutchins Co., Boston, Mass. (It 
is supposed that the measurements are enclosed.) 

11. One doz. handkerchiefs for your own use from Robinson Cleaver & 
Co., Belfast, Ireland. 

12. A ton of coal from the City Coal Company (your city). 

13. A door mat. 

14. Countermand order in No. 6. 



LESSON 8: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF ORDERS 

JL HE merchant should acknowledge the receipt of the order 
as soon as received, expressing pleasure and assuring the 
sender that his specifications or special directions will be 
carefully carried out. It is well to repeat, in the acknowledg- 
ment, whatever unusual directions there may be in the order. 
When a person places an order, he naturally follows it with 
interest; and any show of interest on the part of the mer- 



34 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

chant, just at this time, will go far toward establishing per- 
manent business relations. A few words of this kind, or the 
mention of some other goods, make excellent sales talk for 
later orders. 

CARSON 8c COMPANY 

WHOLESALE SHOE MERCHANTS 



33 Front St., 

Chicago, III., Aug. 13, 1914. 

Mr. C. M. Block, 

Troy, Ohio. 
Dear Sir, 

Your order for shoes, which came last evening, is now 
in the hands of a careful man who devotes all his time to 
following up rush orders, and your shoes will certainly 
reach you by the 28th of the month, so that you will have 
them a full week before the opening of the schools, as you 
requested. 

In a few days you will receive our catalogue of winter 

shoes, showing some very attractive styles and good values. 

We shall hope to have your order for winter goods early, 

so that you may have them in stock before the first cold 

snap in the autumn. 

Very truly yours, 

Carson & Co. 

per 0. 

This letter is in answer to the order illustrated in Lesson 7. 
Note that mention is made of date on which the goods were 
requested in the order (p. 32). The last paragraph is intended 
to attract further business. 






ENCLOSURES 35 

PRACTICE 

Take the place of the persons written to in Lesson 7 and acknowledge 
the receipt of each order, or combination of orders, in turn. 

LESSON 9: ENCLOSURES 

AN enclosure is something — usually a business paper such 
as an order-slip, remittance, receipt, bill, or statement — 
enclosed in the envelope with the letter. 

A letter accompanying an enclosure should contain a 
precise statement as to what the enclosure is, the amount, its 
purpose, and, if it is a payment, how it is to be applied. A 
series of letters thus written makes a complete history of a 
transaction, as the writer keeps copies of all letters sent, and 
the receiver files the letters when received. Any item in 
the transaction may be ascertained by reference to the letter 
book or the files long after the enclosures have been passed 
to the bookkeeper and have become matters of record. 

A TRANSACTION made by letter is as binding as though 
a formal contract had been drawn up, the letters taking 
the place of the written contract, or rather constituting the 
written contract. The details are as important as though 
made by an attorney at law and should receive as careful 
attention at the hands of the letter writer as the lawyer would 
give them. 

Another advantage in stating the details is that a wrong 
enclosure or incorrect amount may be easily detected and 
corrected at once. The one remitting money has a right to 
say to which of several accounts the payment shall be ap- 
plied, and he should give this information if he has any choice 
in the matter. In absence of such direction, the creditor may 
apply it as he chooses ; he may even apply it to an outlawed 
account. 



36 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

JbiNCLOSURES such as notes, checks, bills of exchange, 
receipts, etc. should be laid upon the face of the letter with 
the top edge and the left-hand end even with the correspond- 
ing edge of the letter, then fastened with a small paper-fast- 
ener and folded with the letter. Several enclosures may be 
put into one letter, but each one should be mentioned. The 
word "Enclosure "or "Enclosures "should appear in the lower 
left-hand cdrner of the letter and be followed by the number, 
in figures, of the papers enclosed. This is done so that the 
stenographer will not neglect to enclose the proper papers, 
and so that the one receiving the letter may see at a glance 
whether any are missing. 

IT is unsafe to send currency in an envelope unless it is 
small coins properly wrapped in a coin card. Unless this is 
done, the coin is almost sure to wear a hole in the envelope 
and be lost. Paper money may be detected and misappropri- 
ated. Any one sending money in this way does so at his own 
risk. The usual way of making payments by mail is by postal 
order, draft, or check. Postal orders are convenient for small 
amounts but are expensive for large amounts; besides, they 
cannot be issued for more than $100 each. Bank drafts are 
used in transactions between banks, and by persons in send- 
ing money to those with whom they have no established busi- 
ness relations; but checks are by far the most common form 
of remittance. 

PRACTICE 

Cut pieces of paper about the size of the required business papers (say 
3 by 7 inches for checks, notes, and drafts) and enclose with the letters 
that you will write : — 

1. Write to the International Transportation Co. this city, enclosing a 
check for the month's freight bill. 

2. Write to Messrs. Howard & Jones, 276 Main St., Cincinnati, sending 
them a note on account. 



ENCLOSURES 37 



*fyf.°° Troy. Ohio, ^Jept.o, IJIjL 

PARA TRUST COMPANY 

Pay to //Ijm^^. CdA^or^ & L*r. t or Order 
y.Jjj*r shM^JAs^ ^mxaUu-JL^ if -?£r Dollars 



Gentlemen :— 

This check for S275 is in payment of a 
bill of goods bought from you Aug, 12th, due 
to-day. 

Yours truly. 



G%t£e*o/L 



Enclosure 1. 



3. An account has been settled in full by one of your debtors. Write 
him, enclosing a receipt. 

4. Send a postal money order to Mr. W. B. Clemons, 348 Pearl Street, 
Albany, N.Y., on account. 

5. Send a bank draft to Messrs. Dunbar & Co., for $26.72 in payment of 
account as shown by their last monthly statement. 



38 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

6. Send express money order to Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden 
City, Long Island, in payment of one year's subscription to The World's 
Work, 

7. Enclose a bill of lading with letter to John Denton, 28 Fifth Av., 
Chicago, 111., for goods shipped them to-day. 

8. Send check to the Gas Company (your city) in payment of last month's 
gas bill. 

9. Send bill to Samuel Johnson, 106 High St., Holyoke, Mass., for 
goods sold them yesterday. 

10. Send a receipt to a customer who has just settled in full. 

11. Send receipted bill for cash sale of goods to Messrs. Hall & Sons, 
246 Commercial St., Columbus, Ohio. 

12. Send bank draft to Messrs. Rousset et Compagnie, 260 Grand Rue, 
Geneva, Switzerland. 

13. Send bank draft to Messrs. Little Brown & Co., Boston, Mass., for 
10 copies of Blackstone's Commentaries at $4.00 each. 

14. Send a bill to Mrs. Emma Jackson for goods sent her to-day — $38.50. 

15. Send a b /l to an out-of-town customer to whom you have shipped 
12 cases of goods. 



LESSON 10: ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PAYMENT 

_L HIS kind of letter ought to express thanks in some way 
for the payment and should state in figures the amount of 
money received. 

Promptness in answering business letters, especially those 
containing remittances, requests for quotations, information, 
etc., is of great importance. Delay is sure to cause annoyance 
and is likely to lose business. Punctuality is one of the prime 
virtues of a good business man. Its value cannot be over- 
estimated. It will get and hold business where tardiness 
meets with failure. Credit is freely given to the punctual man, 
while it is often withheld from the tardy man simply because 
of his tardiness. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PAYMENT 



CARSON & COMPANY 

WHOLESALE SHOE MERCHANTS 



33 Front St., 

Chicago, III., Sept. 12, 1914. 

Mr. C. M. Block, 
Troy, Ohio. 

Dear Sir. 

• Thank you for your check for 8275 which you 
sent us yesterday. This pays your account in full, 
but we shall not be quite satisfied until we have 
your name on our books for another order. 

Yours truly. 



Carson & Co. 

P er C. 



PRACTICE 

1. George White, Linville, Conn., has just sent you a check for $75 to 
apply on account. Acknowledge its receipt. No receipt is necessary — the 
letter is sufficient. 

2. Write to Messrs. Howard & Co., 175 Bridge St., Cleveland, Ohio, 
acknowledging receipt of a draft for $125 in full of account. 

3. You have previously requested Richard Bond, Rock Island, 111., 
to remit in full of account. He now sends you a check for $160, which is 
but one half the indebtedness. Write to him. 

4. Take the place of Mr. Clemons in Exercise 4, Lesson 9, and answer 
the letter. 

5. A customer sends $25 on account. Send a receipt. 



40 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

6. A customer sends a check for $78.20 in full of account as shown by 
your statement, which he returns to have receipted. Write him, enclos- 
ing the receipted statement. 

7. A customer sends $50 on account. Write a letter acknowledging its 
receipt. 

8. A customer who owes you $41.25 sends, by mistake, $42.25. Write 
him, enclosing your check for $1.00, the amount overpaid. 

9. Send a receipt, with letter, to a customer who has just remitted $28 
on account. 

10. Send receipted bill for cash sale to Geo. Hall, Maiden, Mass. 

11. A customer writes that he is " enclosing a check," but omits the en- 
closure. Write him. 



LESSON 11: EXTENSION OF TIME 

J_T may be necessary for a debtor occasionally to ask for 
an extension of time on some part of his account. If he hopes 
for a favorable answer, he should make the request before the 
account falls due. This will indicate that he wishes to be punc- 
tual and will put him in a better light than if he waits until 
the account becomes due. Then, too, the creditor may be de- 
pending upon this payment for purposes of his own; and, if it 
is not forthcoming, he will want to know it as early as possible. 
The letter will have a tone of sincerity if the cause of the 
delay is stated. Whether the cause can be given or not, the 
letter should contain a definite promise of payment on or 
before a fixed date and should give the grounds upon which 
the new promise is based. 

There are times when it is best to be lenient toward a debtor, as was 
found during the financial crisis of 1907. Instead of forcing payment and get- 
ting but a percentage of the debt, the time of payment was in many cases 
extended; and, in some cases, additional aid was given,which tided the busi- 
ness over its temporary embarrassment until it could pay dollar for dollar. 

While the regular term of credit may be 30, 60, or 90 days, there are no 
general rules to be followed in the exceptional cases, each case being de- 
cided according to the circumstances surrounding it. 



EXTENSION OF TIME • 41 



PRACTICE 



1. You owe a bill of $1150, falling due Nov. 4th, to Messrs. Forbes & 
Wallace of New York. There is a great demand in the West at this time 
for money with which to move the crops, making money scarce in your 
locality, and collections difficult as a consequence. You have several thou- 
sand dollars maturing within three weeks, which you will have in hand 
Nov. 15th. Write to Forbes & Wallace, asking for an extension, setting 
date of payment. 

2. Write to your grocer, asking for two weeks' extension on your account. 

3. There has been a strike in your city, which has crippled your busi- 
ness, causing your inability to pay Geo. Davis & Co., Cleveland, Ohio, 
just at this time. The strikers have to-day submitted their claims to the 
State Board of Arbitration, and a settlement of the disputed points seems 
near. Write, asking an extension. 

4. Carleton Stone, your employer, who has always been prompt in pay- 
ments, asks an extension of one week on a bill of $246.50 due L. C. Baker, 
1300 Munro Av., Grand Rapids, Mich. Write for Mr. Stone. 

5. Anderson & Sons, your employers, have a bill of $890, due S. B. White 
& Co., St. Louis, falling due within three days from this date. They are 
taking account of stock. Write to S. B. White & Co., asking for extension. 

6. You are to be out of town for a week on business. Write to the 
Emerson Company, Brockton, Mass., asking permission to delay payment 
of your bill for a few days. 

7. Thanksgiving Day was followed by a two-days' storm, which kept 
shoppers at home. The loss of these three days' business has made you a 
little short of funds. Write to a creditor about a certain bill falling due one 
week from date. 

8. Your subscription to the System Magazine, published by The System 
Company, Chicago, 111., expires this week. Ask them to renew the subscrip- 
tion — you will pay for it out of next week's salary. 

LESSON 12: EXTENSIONS {continued) 

PRACTICE 

Note. — Study the letter from Forbes & Wallace (see page 43) and 
see how tactfully it is constructed. Their intimate knowledge of business 
conditions is indicated in the first paragraph by reference to the dullness of 



42 • THE BUSINESS LETTER 

trade and in the third by reference to Stone & Co.'s bank and credit. In the 
first, second, and third paragraphs, favorable reference is made to their 
reputation and financial standing in a way that is pleasing to them. The 
second paragraph gives a good reason for not granting the request, and the 
third suggests a way out of the difficulty. The closing paragraph sums up 
the matter and sets a date when payment is expected — firm but courteous. 

1. A. C. Benton, Concord, N.H., writes, asking for two weeks' extension 
on his bill for $250. He gives dullness of trade caused by a strike on the 
railroad as the reason. Write to Benton, granting his request. 

2. Wm, Wilson asks for an extension of thirty days on his bill of $50, 
but gives no reason why he cannot pay, nor does he give any assurance of 
paying at the end of the time. Refuse his request. 

3. C. M. Block, whose bill for $68.75 falls due within a few days, writes 
for a two weeks' extension, giving positive assurance that he will pay at 
the end of that time. Answer this. 

4. A. B. Cunningham, who owes you $25 on a running account, which 
is long past due, asks for more time, giving no reasons or promises. Answer 
this. 

5. Julian Southworth, whose bill for $18 comes due one week from to-day, 
met with an accident which has kept him from his usual employment for 
some time. Because of this, he now asks for two weeks' additional time. 
Write him. 

6. Wm. Kent, who is known as a "spender" and is always behind in 
his payments, asks for more time on his overdue account. Point out tact- 
fully that this is overdue and try to arrange for small weekly payments. 

7. Mrs. Adam Thompson writes that her husband is away on a two weeks' 
business trip. She asks a creditor that the account be allowed to stand until 
his return. Write Mrs. Thompson's letter. 

8. A new customer asks for more time on his first bill. He gives no rea- 
son for the request and makes no new promises. Answer this. 

9. A customer from whom one can hardly collect without a lawsuit asks 
for more time. Write him. 

10. An account owed you by Mr. Z. K. Fine of your city is one month 
overdue, and he now asks for more time. Answer him. 

11. C. K. Rogers, a recent customer, has just sent you a $500 order for 
goods on account; but he has not settled for the previous purchase. Express 
pleasure at receiving the new order, but tactfully tell him that you will 
delay the filling of the order until he settles the old account. 



EXTENSION OF TIME 43 



FORBES <fc WALLACE 

ALL KINDS OF MERCHANDISE 
36-40 EAST 14te ST., NEW YORK CITY 



Oct. 26, 1914. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
148 Main St. , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen,- We know that the condition of trade in your 
part of the country is a little slow just now, but we hope 
that will not prevent you from maintaining the enviable rep- 
utation for prompt payment which your house now enjoys. 

The process of producing our goods and preparing them 
for market requires a long time, which prevents us from 
turning our capital as often as is the case with other kinds 
of goods. Were this not the case we should be glad to be 
freer with our credit to reliable houses like yours. 

We know that your credit is perfectly good at the First 
National Bank of your city and that it puts you to no in- 
convenience to secure a loan of this size. If collections 
are such that they do not warrant your sending a check for 
the balance of your account, we are sure that you will find 
the First National Bank ready and willing to take your 
paper . 

We shall, therefore, confidently expect a remittance 
from you by the 4th of the month. 



Yours truly, 

Forbes & Wallace 

per &. %. W. 



44 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

LESSON 13: REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT 

IT is not difficult to sell a man something that he already 
wants, but to get him to part cheerfully with something that 
he wishes to keep is quite another matter. And this is the 
task that the collection department sets for itself. 

The punctual customer will usually settle his account upon 
receipt of your statement showing that the account is due, 
but the delinquent customer requires tactful and careful 
handling. Many of these are customers worth having, yet 
they are slow to pay and need to be prompted. It is easier 
to retain an old customer than to get a new one. 

The several ways of collecting outstanding accounts are: 
by messenger, by correspondence, through banks and collec- 
tion agencies, and by legal proceedings. The second method 
— correspondence — is by far the most used and is the one 
that immediately concerns us in our study of letter writing. 
It certainly has the advantage of being a record of what passes 
between the house and the debtor as well as that of systematic 
effort. 

IN most cases, for the well-meaning delinquent, a courteous 
reminder that the account is due and yet unpaid is sufficient. 
This, theirs/ letter, should call attention to the overdue ac- 
count and indicate that you desire a remittance from him. 
It must in no way reflect upon the honesty or business meth- 
ods of the debtor, or upon his ability to pay. But it should be 
written in a cordial spirit and assume that this matter, which 
is probably due to oversight, will be attended to as soon 
as it is brought to his attention. 

A little sales talk at the end of the letter will not only make 
him feel all right about the request for payment, but will show 
him that you still value him as a customer and wish to retain 
his trade. This will tend to remove the momentary annoy- 
ance which your request may cause him and often will lead 



REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT 45 

to further orders, while a tactless request might mean the 
loss of a customer. For instance, you might say: — 



Dear Sir. 

Enclosed is a statement of your account, show- 
ing a balance of $274.54 due on the 5th inst. 

The payment of this account has probably been 
overlooked by you, or it may be that a check is al- 
ready on the way. 

Yours truly. 

Or, supposing that you are writing to the manager of a Busi- 
ness School, you might write in this way: — 

Dear Sir, 

In the rush of the registration of students the en- 
closed account, which is already several days overdue, 
evidently has been overlooked by you. We therefore feel 
sure that this reminder will be all that is required to 
make a settlement forthcoming. 

Are the shorthand pencils which you are using in your 
school giving satisfaction? The "Stenographer" is a pen- 
cil highly prized by all shorthand writers; greater speed 
and clearer outlines are made with it because the point 
is much less likely to break than is the case with other 
pencils. 

We are making a specialty of this shorthand pencil, 
and we shall be pleased to send you a half-dozen for 
trial, free of charge, should your shorthand teacher de- 
sire to make the test. 

Yours truly. 



46 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

A HE second request for payment, no answer having been 
received to the first, should be somewhat more pointed and 
firmer in tone, though by no means threatening. This letter 
will indicate the attitude of the debtor and help you to deter- 
mine what course to follow. It forces the issue — he must 
either remit or lay himself liable to unpleasant circumstances. 

The claim that you are in need of money, while it may be 
true, puts you in the same category with himself. He will 
interpret it as financial weakness and be likely to take ad- 
vantage of it. A good working basis, of which we can always 
be sure, is that the account is due and should be paid. Justice 
demands it; therefore, no apology is necessary. 

Some houses use a series of three or four letters, increasing 
gradually in strength. Others prefer to write personal letters, 
instead of forms, to each delinquent who fails to respond to 
the first letter of request. This, the second letter, may con- 
tain a little sales talk, but the matter of payment must be 
made the most important part of the letter. 

Dear Sir, 

We wrote you two weeks ago. calling your 
attention to your overdue account, but have 
heard nothing from you. We shall confidently 
expect a remittance from you within ten days. 

Yours truly, 



PRACTICE 

1. Write a suitable first letter to be sent to James Spaulding, whose ac- 
count is but a few days overdue. 

2. James Spaulding has paid no attention to your first letter. Write 
him again. 

3. You sent a monthly statement to Chas. Minner three weeks ago, but 
he has paid no attention to it. Write him, enclosing another statement. 
This is the first letter. 



REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT 47 

4. You have previously sent two statements and written once to Wm. 
Rice of your city, concerning his overdue account. Write him again. 

5. An account of $157.15 owed by Jas. Cannon has been due for some 
time. Write him. (This is the first letter.) 

6. Assume that ten days have passed since writing No. 5, and that Mr. 
Cannon has not answered your letter. Write him again. 

7. The W r hite Star Laundry Company owes you a bill of $21.50 for 
soap. You have sent them two statements and one letter, but have heard 
nothing from them. Write again. 

8. Winn & Co., who owe } T ou $75, overdue, are known in business circles 
as "slow pay" and need some urging. You have already written once; 
write again. 

9. Fischer & Co., who owe you on a book account, have had a serious 
setback in the form of a fire. They have not asked for an extension, yet the 
account is past due. Write them about the account. 

10. You have heard nothing from Fischer & Co., to whom you wrote two 
weeks ago. Write again. 

11. Write the first collection letter to the What Cheer Transfer Com- 
pany, your city, asking for payment of bill of $145 for hay and grain due 
two weeks ago. 

12. You have waited ten days and heard nothing. Write the second 
letter. 

LESSON 14: REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT (continued) 

A HE third letter should be quite definite — courteous but 
firm. It should bring the matter to an issue by insisting upon 
payment by a specified time. 

Further sales talk or conciliatory conversation is unneces- 
sary, as it is now evident that the debtor has no intention of 
paying until forced to do so. From the tone of your letter 
he will infer that you intend taking definite steps to collect 
the account, and it will be more effective to keep him in sus- 
pense than to tell him just what you are going to do in case 
he does n't pay. It is unprofitable to retain such a customer, 
so train your guns on him and capture what is due you. Write 
him somewhat like this : — 



48 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Dear Sir, 

You have paid no attention whatever to our two 
previous letters concerning your overdue account. 
This forces us to believe that you are purposely de- 
laying payment. 

We must now insist that this account be settled 
in full by the 25th inst. We cannot carry it longer. 

Yours truly, 

JLF the third letter brings no response, the fourth should be 
final (provided there are but four letters in the series). It 
should state that, unless the account is settled by a certain 
date, it will be given to a lawyer for collection. It precludes 
all argument and delay — he must do this, or you will do 
that. This threat once made must be carried out. 

IjAWYERS may be found in almost every city and town 
who do a collection business. Lists of such reliable men may 
be found in certain trade or legal journals. In case the lawyer 
cannot persuade the debtor to settle his account, he then 
takes the matter to the court for settlement. 

feOME creditors give their accounts to a collection agency 
to be collected, when they cannot collect them for them- 
selves. These agencies have sets of follow-up letters which 
they use on the delinquent, with the result that they often 
collect, without litigation, accounts which the collection de- 
partment of the house has found impossible to get. 

ANOTHER way of collecting from an out-of-town customer 
is to draw a draft on him for the amount due and then 
send it to his bank for collection. This is often very ef- 



REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT 49 

fective, as no business man wishes, or can afford, to lose 
the esteem or confidence of his banker. A man puts himself 
in an unfavorable light when he refuses to honor drafts drawn 
upon him. This method would not be used until after, say, 
the second unsuccessful attempt to collect by letter. 

PRACTICE 

1. James Spaulding, to whom you have written twice concerning his 
overdue account, has not answered either letter. Write him a third time. 

2. Assume that you have written twice to J. C. Hall & Co., asking for 
settlement of their account, but have received no answer. Write a third 
letter. 

3. Mr. Minner, to whom you wrote in No. 3, Lesson 13, has not answered. 
Write the third time. 

4. No answer having been received to your letter written in No. 3 of 
this lesson, write the fourth and final letter. 

5. Write a third letter to the Mr. Rice mentioned in No. 4, Lesson 13. 

6. Write the fourth letter to follow the one written in No. 5 of this lesson. 

7. Write the third and fourth letters for No. 6, Lesson 13. 

8. Write the third and fourth letters to follow the one written in No. 7, 
Lesson 13. 

9. Your employer wishes you to write a series of four collection letters for 
use in the collection department, to be mailed to delinquents at intervals 
of ten days or two weeks. Write the letters. 

10. You have not been able to collect the debt due from Mr. Cannon (No. 
5, Lesson 13). Write to John Y. Stone, a lawyer, sending him the account 
for collection. 



LESSON 15: REQUESTS FOR PAYMENT (continued) 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a series consisting of three letters for collection purposes, 
similar to those discussed in Lessons 13 and 14. 

2. Write a four-letter series for collection purposes. 



50 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

LESSON 16: ANSWERING COMPLAINTS 

WERE you ever impressed by the courtesy invariably 
shown to customers by the sales people in certain of our 
stores? The spirit of the house is reflected by its representa- 
tives. As the salary of a salesman depends upon the amount 
of goods he can sell, so the amount of his sales depends a 
great deal upon his treatment of the customers. Courtesy is 
no less valuable in the office — the profits of the firm depend 
upon it to a large degree. It is an asset that no one can or 
need do without. A courteous person with medium ability 
will succeed where a discourteous person with greater ability 
will fail. 

To control the temper and maintain an even courtesy, no 
matter how trying the circumstances, is to command respect; 
to indulge in rudeness, sarcasm, or curtness is to invite loss. 
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and 
he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city," is a bit 
of wisdom which is as applicable now as it was the day it was 
written. 

Courtesy is an indication of gentility in any relation of life; 
in business it is indispensable. This is doubly true of the 
written speech, for it remains on record long after the spoken 
word has been forgotten. 

XF your customer is worth having at all, he is worth satisfy- 
ing. When he is satisfied, he will bring you more trade and 
be often of more value to you than a book-full of untried 
prospects; but when he is dissatisfied, he will drive trade 
away. 

Differences usually grow out of misunderstandings and 
mistakes, and a word of explanation will go a long way in 
removing the annoyance. 

Nineteen times out of twenty, the complaints of your cus- 



ANSWERING COMPLAINTS 51 

tomer arise from real causes, and he must be treated with 
courtesy and consideration, and a desire to straighten out 
the matter for him must be manifested. When your house is 
at fault, you certainly want to rectify the mistake; and when 
the fault is elsewhere, you may be of real service in finding 
out for the customer where the trouble is. This willingness 
to do more for him than is required of you will prove the 
sincerity of your desire to be of service to him. To create 
such a feeling in a customer is a valuable bit of advertising 
for your house. 

YOUR customer may have written you an acid letter and 
said unpleasant things, but that is no reason why you should 
descend to his level and use discourteous and abusive language 
to him. To ignore his offensive tone and answer him fairly 
and fully preserves your self-respect, disarms his antagonism, 
and makes it possible for you to give him the help he really 
needs. After all, "Business " in its best sense consists in render- 
ing service. 

Since usually a complaint is based upon a real grievance, 
the best way to answer it is to treat it seriously — to look at 
the matter through the other mans eyes — get his viewpoint. 
Then begin your letter with some statement that the other 
man will recognize and admit as a matter of course, thus re- 
moving opposition. Now either grant his claim at once in 
a gracious manner, expressing regret that he has been an- 
noyed, or, if you cannot accede to his demand, gradually 
lead him to see the matter as you do. You may even be able 
to prove to him that your way is best for him, though it may 
not look so to him at first. The most important thing is that 
you should have the right mental attitude toward the maker of the 
complaint. 

Read the following letter of complaint, then notice the two 
possible treatments of it as illustrated by the two letters 
which immediately follow this one : — 



52 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Gentlemen, - 

Berlin is a long way from Boston, consequently your no- 
tices of due date of premiums are always late. They do not 
reach me until the day the premium is due and often several 
days later than that. This makes my remittances late and 
is likely to cause me trouble. 

Many of the up-to-date American insurance companies are 
considerate enough of their policy holders residing in 
foreign countries, to appoint banks in the various cities, 
where insurance premiums may be paid, thus saving the 
policy holders much annoyance and perhaps serious loss. 
Can you not arrange to do the same in Berlin? 

Yours truly, 

The letter of complaint above might be answered as fol- 
lows, with the result that the writer would be still more dis- 
satisfied : — 

Dear Sir,- 

We note your complaint of the 11th. We mail your noti- 
ces at the same time as the notices to the other policy 
holders, and it is not our fault that they do not reach you 
on time. The distance at which you live from the United 
States is your misfortune, and we fail to see why we should 
be called upon to make good in this matter. 

It has never been our policy to establish collection 
agencies in foreign countries; consequently it will be ne- 
cessary for you to get your premiums to us on time, or your 
policy will lapse. 

Yours truly, 



ANSWERING COMPLAINTS 53 

Instead of this tactless answer, the following might be sent. 
Note the difference in the tone, while it, also, is a refusal. 



Dear Sir, 

Berlin is, as you say, a long way from Boston, and we 
can quite understand how you feel about the notices not 
reaching you as early as they would were you living in the 
United States. 

We have considered the question, which you raise, of 
appointing an agent in Berlin to receive payment of pre- 
miums; but this would add to the cost of insurance. The 
method of collecting premiums is one of the items that en- 
ter into the cost of insurance, and the plan of collection 
by mail has been found to be the least expensive to the 
policy holder. Were we to establish an agency in Berlin, 
the bank's charge for collecting and remitting would have 
to be charged to the policy holders in and near that city. 
As there are but few such, we do not feel like putting them 
to this extra expense. 

As there are no variations in the dates and amounts, 
can you not make a note of these two things where they will 
be brought to your attention far enough in advance for you 
to send your remittances in ample time? 

We would suggest that you might save three fourths of 
this trouble by paying annually instead of in quarterly 
payments, as you have been doing. Such a plan would not 
only save trouble, but would be a money saving of $5.98 
per year. June 11th being the anniversary of the policy, 
would be a convenient time to change to the yearly basis. 
The yearly premium is 8118.52; and if you wish to do so, 
you might pay that way next June. 

Yours very truly. 



54 THE BUSINESS LETTER 



PRACTICE 



1. Mrs. Ada Brown finds that one of the articles that she bought at 
Price's Department Store yesterday was not sent with the other purchases. 
In anger, she accuses the store of an attempt to defraud her and threatens 
to withdraw her trade. The article in question was from another depart- 
ment and could not be sent until a later delivery. Write to Mrs. Brown 
for The Price Company, making an explanation. 

2. Smith & Co. complain of delay in receiving goods from you. Write 
them. 

3. A customer, John Willoby, complained of an error in filling his order 
for a handbag — the wrong size was sent. Write him. To save time, you 
might send the size desired, allowing him to return the other later. 

4. Goods, which you ordered three weeks ago and of which you are in 
great need, have not yet arrived. Write to the shipper about it, giving 
sufficient data for the identification of this shipment. 

5. Wm. Young, a retail merchant, accuses you of an attempt to cheat, 
as you charged him 2 cents a lb. more for butter than you charged him 
two weeks ago. This was due to an advance in price. Write him. 

6. Mrs. A. H. Butterfield, 16 Highland Av. (your city), who ordered a 
Morris chair from your store several days ago, now says that you sent 
an imitation mahogany, though she ordered, as she claims, mahogany. 
She is dissatisfied and blames you for carelessness. By reference to your 
letter files you find that the order was for the imitation mahogany and 
that the order was filled exactly as received. Answer Mrs. Butterfield. 
Don't emphasize her mistake too much. Offer to exchange the chair. 

7. An out-of-town customer complains that he has not received the set 
of Victor Hugo's works which he ordered a week ago. Express regret at the 
delay and say that you are having shipment traced but that, rather than 
make him wait until the books are found, you are sending another set. 
Ask him, should both be delivered, to return one of the sets at your expense. 

8. Write to the local R.R. Co., asking them to trace the shipment men- 
tioned in No. 7. 

9. The line of Student Fountain pens that you are carrying is not giv- 
ing satisfaction, as they leak. Write the New York office (1248 Nassau St.). 

10. Your new Progressive typewriter is not giving entire satisfaction. 
Write to the Progressive Typewriter agency in your city about it. (The 
address will be fictitious.) 



FORM LETTERS 55 

LESSON 17: FORM LETTERS 

THE correspondence of business houses naturally falls into 
several well-defined classes. The majority of the letters be- 
longing to a given class are so nearly alike that the same an- 
swer may be sent to most of them. Such a letter is carefully 
written and framed to cover all points usually raised in 
inquiries of the class which it is designed to answer. It is 
printed in imitation of typewriter type and, after the name 
and address have been inserted by the stenographer, it has 
the appearance of a typewritten letter. The one receiving 
such a letter will read it with more interest than he would 
if he knew it to be a circular letter. 

The incoming mail is sent to the proper department heads 
who read their letters and indicate the "form" to be sent in 
reply. The stenographer then inserts the names and ad- 
dresses and prepares the envelopes; thus a large number of 
letters may be answered in a few minutes. Such letters cer- 
tainly cost less and save time, as one stenographer can 
answer hundreds of letters a day, in this way, while she could 
turn out but about 40 typewritten letters in the same time. 
There are, of course, quite a number of letters that cannot be 
answered in this way and necessitate personal answers. That 
every second letter mailed in the United States is a "form" 
letter is proof of its value. 

A SERIES of words does not necessarily make a letter — 
it is quality that counts. The successful business letter writer 
must aim his message at the target and drive it there with 
force and conviction if he is to hit the mark. 

The brightest thoughts, the happiest expressions, and the 
best arguments always come to the writer when he is at his 
best. By framing such of these as are suitable for the purpose 
into "form" letters, you have better letters than you could 
dictate off-hand. They are well-balanced and strong, cour- 



56 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

teous and clear, no matter how many things may have gone 
criss-cross in the office. 

Of course, the "form" letter must be written for a specific 
purpose and for a certain class of readers. The cross-road 
merchant must be approached in one way, while the town 
dealer and the city house must each be approached in ways 
peculiar to themselves. The correspondent must not only 
know about the business of his own house, but must also 
know a great deal about other people — how they think and 
live and what conditions surround their business. 

Another advantage of these letters is that they admit of 
tests — a letter that pulls trade is a good one and may be used 
repeatedly, or similar letters modeled after it. Some business 
houses prepare several letters for a given purpose, and send 
them to parallel "trial" lists of prospects. The best letter 
can be ascertained by keeping careful record of the returns. 
This letter is then sent to the regular list of prospects. 

A HERE is necessarily a great difference between the letter 
which is of itself to create an interest where no interest pre- 
viously existed, and the letter which is written in answer to 
an inquiry. The person writing for a catalogue, quotations, 
information, etc. already has an interest in the matter. Now 
is a chance either to kill what interest he has or to increase it. 
The use of a little sales talk following the answer to his ques- 
tions is likely to lead to an order. Suppose we say: — 

Dear Sir, 

We are in receipt of your letter of the 12th, in which you 
asked for a catalogue of canned fruit, and in reply we beg to 
say that we are sending same to you under separate cover. 
Please glance through it and, if you find anything you de- 
sire, let us know and we will supply you. 

Yours truly, 



FORM LETTERS 57 

This is the style of letter writing that has handicapped 
business for so long, and from which business men are now 
struggling to free themselves. It is stilted, lifeless, and anti- 
quated. Such a letter is almost sure to make a bad impression. 
It starts out with the useless, "We are in receipt of your 
letter" — the fact that you are answering the letter shows 
that you have received it. Later in the same sentence is the 
old expression "and in reply we beg to say." It is n't neces- 
sary to tell the man that you are answering — your letter to 
him is proof of it. The expression, " we beg," is very objection- 
able. No one likes beggars or begging letters. Why should you 
beg to tell a person what he has already asked you to tell him? 
The expression, "Please glance through it," shows indiffer- 
ence on the part of the writer, and the tone of the entire letter 
is cold and distant. The man who receives it will feel that he 
is being held at arm's length. It is enthusiasm, not indifference, 
that draws others toward you. Compare the following letter 
with the one above, and notice how superior in life and tone 
the second one is — it would create a much better impression: 

Dear Sir, 

The catalogue of canned fruit, for which you asked 
the other day, was mailed this morning. We want you to 
examine it carefully, as we are sure you will find just 
what you want. Please read the "trial order" offer on 
page 216, which will interest you. The fruit is of the 
best quality, prepared in strictly sanitary factories, 
and is a big value for the money. We shall be pleased 
to ship you this trial order or whatever else you may 
need. In either case we pay the freight to your door. 

Yours truly, 

Notice that this letter opens easily and naturally, and that 
the reader is made to feel that he is sure to find just what he 



58 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

wants. Something special is pointed out, even the page of the 

catalogue is given* a little sales talk is added, and attention 

is called to the fact that he is put to no expense for freight. 

This next letter is in answer to a request for a catalogue : 



€^e 3acl#ott ^c^ool of Commerce 

Exchange Building 

Your city, Oct. 30, 191—. 

Mr. Clarence Stone, 
148 Main St., 

Your city. 

Dear Sir, 

The catalogue you requested yesterday was mailed the 
first thing this morning. If you wish to prepare for a 
business position, you are sure to find just what you want 
in the Jackson School of Commerce. 

The final test of a school is the quality of its prod- 
uct, and our students have demonstrated the value of their 
training by filling the best positions in the city and 
by the success they have won in business enterprises of 
their own. 

You will find by examination of our catalogue that the 
courses are arranged with special reference to the needs 
of the business of this locality and that every facility is 
offered the student in his preparation for business life. 

A new class is entering Nov. 3d, and we should be 
pleased to number you among them. 

Yours respectfully, 

Jackson School of Commerce. 

^. C. wisishAxysvh, Pres. 



SALES LETTERS 59 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a form letter to be used in answering letters requesting a cata- 
logue and price list of teas and coffees. 

2. Write a form letter to be used in acknowledging a receipt of an order. 

3. Write a form letter to be used in acknowledgment of a remittance. 

4. Write a form letter to be used in answering the ordinary complaint 
concerning delay in receiving goods. 

5. Write a form letter to be used in granting extension of time. 

6. Write a form to be used in acknowledging receipt of returned goods. 

7. Write a form suitable for use in a bank, notifying borrowers of inter- 
est due. 

8. Write a form to be used by an insurance company in notifying policy 
holders of due date of premium. 

9. Write a form (for postal) to be used by a freight company to notify 
consignees of the arrival of their goods. 

10. Write a form (postal notice) to be used by your city tax-collector in 
notifying tax-payers of due date of taxes. 

LESSON 18: SALES LETTERS 

A HE man behind the letter is the dynamo, and the letter 
is the live wire which completes the circuit between the house 
and the customer, creating commercial activity. The writer 
of a successful letter must put his personality into it and make 
the letter talk. It must breathe the spirit of business in every 
sentence, and sincerity must be evident in every statement. 
The spirit of the business is shown by an intimate knowl- 
edge of the details of the business and the circumstances 
surrounding the question under consideration. Coupled with 
this must be an understanding of the conditions surround- 
ing the customer. It is just as necessary to look at a business 
matter from the other man's point of view as from your own. 
Thus only can you see things in their true light. Keep an 
eye on the other mans interest as well as on your own. It is 
folly to sell him something that he does n't want or more than 



60 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

he needs of the thing he does want. It is n't the first sale that 
makes success for the house, but the ninety-first and the 
hundred and ninety-first and so on. Only the "square deal" 
will do. The interests of the business man are inseparable 
from those of his customers. 

XO give personality to the letter, the writer must avoid 
stilted and threadbare expressions and phrases, and write 
naturally — just as he would talk with the other man face 
to face. The only way a letter can have the appearance of 
sincerity is for the writer to be sincere. The correspondent 
is quick to detect shams or bluffs, or any attempt to evade, 
or any false reasoning. In letter writing as in everything else, 
a man cannot appear to be what he is not. Truth needs no plac- 
ards — it is recognized almost intuitively. If the writer is 
sincere, this quality will show in his letters; if not, no amount 
of rhetorical flourish will conceal the fact. 

A HE greatest need of the house is sales, and the letter is 
a great factor in selling goods, except where the sales are all 
over the counter. The letter is playing a larger part in busi- 
ness year by year and is receiving more and more attention. 
Whether the letter is strictly a sales letter or not, there are 
numberless opportunities to put the sales quality into it. 
The answer to a request for a catalogue, an announcement, 
a solicitation, instructions to salesmen, answers to complaints, 
etc., should all breathe the spirit of business and create a 
good impression of the service, terms, fairness, and sincerity 
of the firm. The letter is a great business builder, and men of 
some literary ability are giving their time to business letter 
writing. 

The good sales letter is one that gains a hearing, gives a 
clear word picture of the article, and not only makes the 
reader want it but brings back the order. Such letters do not 
usually spring ready made and full grown from the mind of 



SALES LETTERS 61 

the writer, but are the product of careful thought and con- 
struction. Writers of form letters often put hours of thought 
upon a single letter. 

The increase in the bulk of business correspondence, in- 
cident to the coming of the typewriter, makes rapid dictation 
a necessity. As no one can do his best in letter writing 
under pressure, there has been a lowering of the quality of 
the average business letter. Fortunately the advent of the 
form letter offers an opportunity to correct this tendency. 

THIS letter takes the place of the salesman; and it must 
follow the lines of an interview, step by step, with the same 
systematic care and logic that a salesman would use in a 
face-to-face interview. To accomplish this, a past-master 
in the writing of sales letters says 1 that such a letter should 
contain : 

1. The opening, which wins the reader's attention and 
prompts him to go farther into the letter. 

2. Description and explanation, which gain his interest by 
picturing the proposition in his mind. 

3. Argument and proof, which create a desire for the arti- 
cle you have to sell by showing its value and advantages. 

4. Persuasion, which draws the reader to your way of think- 
ing by showing the adaptation of the article to his needs and 
his need of it now. 

5. Inducement, which gives him a particular or extra 
reason for buying. 

6. The climax, or clincher, which makes it easy for the 
reader to order and prompts him to act at once. 

J_ HE following 2 is an actual letter used by # a magazine in 
getting subscribers. It illustrates the elements of a sales 
letter as given on the preceding page. 

1 How to Write Letters that Win, p. 11. A. W. Shaw Company. 

2 From How to Write Letters that Win. 



62 THE BUSINESS LETTER 



Dear Sir, 

to 

.2 If this letter were printed on a ten dollar bill, it 

§■ could scarcely be of more interest to you than is the mes- 

g sage it now contains. 

g For it offers to place in the hands of a few large 

3 manufacturers, almost without cost, a copy of the greatest 

"§• MANUFACTURER'S TEXT BOOK ever issued in America — a book 

la that contains complete and specific office sales and fac- 

§ tory schemes for increasing a business like yours, a book 

•c that actually outlines in charted form over 30 factory and 

q selling plans that have built up giant businesses. 

In one chapter alone in this book there is a cost sys- 

2 tem, all worked out, that saved one large concern $96,000 

"§ in factory expenses in less than a single year. In another 

a chapter the sales manager of a typewriter company gives a 

V 

a 

§ complete new system for managing a sales force. Yet these 

u 

< are only two out of 30 articles, all equally valuable. 



It tells how to stir up and inspire your sales force; 
a 
•2 how to keep factory costs; how to advertise, promote, and 

g market your articles; how, in fact, to cut down expenses 
^ and increase profits. It is a gold mine of business build- 
ing ideas. 

And remember, the book is free. To each of the first 

a one thousand manufacturers subscribing to , we 

I will send a cloth-bound copy of this splendid 300 page book 
'g without charge. And even the magazines are no expense, for 
the S2 you pay for them will come back to you many times 
over before you have read one half of the 12 issues. 



But you must act now — only 1200 copies of this book 
remain on hand, and live manufacturers will snap up this 
offer. So pin your money to this letter and mail to-day , 

Yours very truly, 



SALES LETTERS 63 

THE attention must be gained with the opening sentence. 
The mind does not easily turn toward a new object or 
thought until the attention is arrested, the interest excited. 
This is the first thing to be accomplished in a good letter. It 
is the outer door through which you enter for an interview 
with the chief within. 

Just how the attention is to be gained depends upon the 
circumstances of the case and the personality of the writer. 
It certainly cannot be done with formal, antiquated openings, 
which are a relic of the past. The letter should open with a 
sentence or statement which strikes the reader as something 
of present-day interest — something which concerns him. 
Some writers attract the attention by displayed catch- words 
in the first sentence, as: 

Dear Sir, 

WHY PAY RENT? 

or 

Dear Madam, 

RIGHT FROM PARIS: 

• 

These correspond to the headlines of newspaper articles. 
They contain the central thought of the letter packed into 
small space. Such an opening will make the reader want to 
read further and find out how he can avoid paying rent 
or what it is that has just arrived from Paris. 

Another and better way of securing the attention is to open 
the letter with an unusual statement or with one that has a 
direct bearing on some problem or interest of the reader, as : 

Dear Sir, 

The Silent Partner, the ADDING MACHINE, will 

do the work of several men, and it never makes mistakes. 



64 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

A letter to a list of people who are building new homes 
might open thus: — 

Dear Sir, 

When your new residence is completed, you will, no 
doubt, need . . . etc. 

This new house is of great interest to the owner, and any 
reference to it will get his ear at once. 

Note. — A number of lessons will be devoted to the study of sales 
letters, first because of their importance in business building, and, second, 
because the elements of a sales letter enter, in some form, into almost every 
other kind of business letter. 

PRACTICE 

Read the first two paragraphs in Lesson 19. 

1. Write an opening paragraph suitable for a sales letter intended to 
induce prospective customers to buy a home. 

2. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter intended to sell some 
article for household use. 

3. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in selling 
a book, or books. 

4. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in sell- 
ing watches, jewelry, ornaments, or musical instruments. 

5. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in selling 
some article for office use. 

6. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in selling a 
typewriter. 

7. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in selling 
insurance (either life or fire). 

8. Write the opening paragraph for a sales letter to be used in selling 
watches. 

Note. — It is intended that whichever of these exercises are chosen, they should 
be carried through the series of six lessons on sales letters. Should, say, 15 ve of these 
exercises be thus carried through the series, the student will have five complete 
sales letters. 

Should additional work of this kind be desired, the list of articles that represent 
labor-saving, comfort, ease, time-saving, or improved service, etc., could be extended 
indefinitely . 



SALES LETTERS 65 

LESSON 19: SALES LETTERS 

Description and Explanation 

JlHE attention once secured, the interest must be aroused 
and stimulated if the letter is to do its work. Modern story 
writers center their stories around some human interest. It 
is something that touches every heart and, properly handled, 
may be used very successfully in sales letters. There are 
plenty of people who want the article you have to sell and 
will buy it if you get their attention and associate your arti- 
cle with one of their interests or needs. Gain in some form, 
ease, comfort, one's home, etc., are forms of human interest 
that appeal to us strongly. Everything on the market has 
its interest for a certain class of customers, and the mission 
of the sales letter is to show the prospective customer how 
your article affects his interest — its value to him. 

A certain shoe merchant sent a note of congratulation to 
a young mother a few weeks after the first child was born and 
presented her with "Baby's first pair of shoes." Here was 
an appeal to a "human interest" which went straight to the 
heart and made permanent customers for the shoe merchant. 

Suppose the principal of a school should write to a parent 
thus: — 



Dear Sir, 

Your boy is fast approaching manhood. 

Marbles and kites no longer imterest him; he has be- 
gun to think for himself. Already he is asking himself, 
"What occupation shall I choose?" and you are as anx- 
ious as he that no mistake be made in this important 
matter. He has ability; and the right choice, followed 
by a good preparation for his life work, will start him 
on the road to success. 



66 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

The first two words, "Your boy/' arrest the parent's at- 
tention; for there is no boy in the world, for him, like this one. 
The remainder of the paragraph arouses interest and holds it 
to the end, as it deals with something of vital importance to 
him. The interest thus aroused, the parent is sure to read 
further — he wants to know what you have to say concerning 
his boy. 

Notice that the letter does not start out with the statement 
that the school from which the letter comes is the largest or 
best, oldest, or most finely equipped in the world — that is of 
more interest to the owner than to any one else. The parent 
does not care so much about the size of the school or the 
cost of the furniture — it is the education of the boy that 
interests him. It is his own interest that he wants to consider, 
not that of the schoolman. There is nothing in this part of 
the letter that calls attention to the appearance of the school 
or the interests of its owners. The writer approaches the 
question from the reader's point of view, knowing that his own 
interests will be cared for in promoting the interests of others. 

YOU have secured the attention and aroused the interest, 
now explain the proposition. This is not so easy as it seems. 
The thing you have to sell has probably been written and 
talked about so much that the public knows all about it — 
there is nothing new to tell. True, but you can tell an old 
story in a new way or show the article in a new relation, thus 
making it interesting. 

A certain typewriter salesman knew this art so well that 
he could describe any feature of typewriter construction — 
one that is common to all machines — in such a way that the 
prospective buyer felt this feature to be all-important and 
forgot that other machines also had it. 

EXACTNESS in this part of the letter is necessary. The de- 
scription must be careful, exact, and sincere. For every " best 



SALES LETTERS 67 

in the world" article, there are a dozen others equally good; 
and no one takes it literally when he reads about any article 
that is said to be the best in the world. The writer must know 
his article or proposition from A to Z and must make his 
talk ring true. He cannot make others see a thing that is not 
clear in his own mind — there is no demand for blind guides. 
Eliminate all non-essentials, center your talk upon a few de- 
tails of superiority, then draw a word-picture in a few clear, 
strong, definite phrases. A dealer might say: — 

You could shave with one of our 75-cent pocket-knives 
— they have the right stuff in them. 

Here is a pocket-knife pictured in a new relation. The de- 
scription is by comparison and is brief, concise, and strong. 
The more common way of saying it would have been something 
like this: " Our knives are made of razor steel." Compare the 
two ways of saying the same thing and see how the second 
loses in force. 

YOU. The second most important word in the English 
language is you, and when wisely used in the opening sentence 
is very effective in getting the interest. In fact, the you ele- 
ment — the other man's interest — must be kept prominent 
all through the letter. The other man does not care how many 
thousand miles of telepost lines my company operates, nor 
how many messages are sent annually. But if I am to sell 
him stock in the company, I must show what advantages 
such an investment will be to him. The first thing he wants to 
know is what he is going to get out of it — what percentage 
it will yield on his investment. 

PRACTICE 

Read the descriptive paragraph in the letter on page 62. 

1. Continue the line of thought begun in Ex. 1 in the last lesson (sales 



68 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

letter for real estate) by writing a paragraph that will still further arouse 
and hold the interest, while you make the proposition concerning the real 
estate you have to sell. 

2. Continue the letter begun in Ex. 2 in the preceding lesson. 



3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 

7. 



« Ex. 3 « 
« Ex. 4 « 
« Ex. 5 « 
« Ex. 6 « 

« Ex. 7 « 



LESSON 20: SALES LETTERS 

Argument and Proof 

IN the past we have regarded advertising as something 
of an exaggeration, and the public still wants proof of the 
advertiser's claims. It is easy to make statements about an 
article that is for sale, but every claim must have sufficient 
proof back of it. When the merits claimed for it have been 
proved, the prospective customer must be convinced that 
they are advantageous to him. An Accident Insurance Com- 
pany might say : — 



The latest report of the Insurance Commissioner states 
that last year the wage earners in Massachusetts alone 
saved $25,000 in wages, which would have been lost because 
of accident and sickness, had not these men been insured in 
accident associations. One man in Worcester was ill for 
ten months; but he received the regular weekly allowance 
of $12.50 from our company — $500 in all — from date of 
accident, just as though he had been working at his regular 
employment. We should be glad to do the same for you under 
similar circumstances. Had it not been for the protection 
furnished by our company last winter, many families would 
have suffered keenly. 






SALES LETTERS 69 

While endeavoring to establish proof, one should be care- 
ful not to overdo it, as too great an effort to prove your state- 
ment may arouse suspicion and weaken the force of your 
claim. A very effective way, when it can be done, is to inject 
the proof incidentally; as, 

Any stock-raiser will tell you, 

or by reference to standard authority. When your statements 
can be easily proved by the reader, ask him to verify them. 
It is very effective to say, 

Write to our bank, the First National, about us; 

or 

You will find our rating in Bradstreet 's. 

Thus to put your correspondent in the way of proving your 
claims for himself will often so satisfy him that he will not 
carry the matter further. 

When testimonials are used, the names and addresses of 
the writers must be given, or they will be regarded as fakes. 
A few such letters having tone and quality are better than 
a book full of ordinary ones. 

WHATEVER means may be employed in proving the 
claims of the advertiser, there is none that surpasses the 
"money refunded" plan. To say, 

If, after careful examination of the article, you do 
not find it as represented by us, return it, at our expense, 
and we will refund your money, 

will satisfy any one. This will convince the most skeptical 
purchaser, as he assumes no risk whatever. He knows that 
no firm could or would make such an offer unless the goods 
were as represented. He knows also that it would be fatal for 
a firm not to fulfill its promise to refund the money. 



70 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

One clothing firm goes one step further; for, after making 
a suit to order, it says, 

If, for any reason, you do not like the suit, we will 
refund the money. 

What stronger proof of style, fit, and quality could any one 
wish? 

J_HE magic word in business is gain. Show your prospect 
what your proposition has done for others, then show him 
how it will be a gain for him — a gain either in dollars, in 
comfort, health, or service. See how well this is done in the 
third paragraph of the letter quoted on page 62. 

In an interview, the personality of the salesman may over- 
come a slight weakness in the proof of a claim; but the letter 
is read, and its statements are weighed, without outside 
influence or pressure. The reader and the letter are alone, and 
your claims must stand or fall according to the merits of the 
letter. It must carry conviction and win its way by its own 
strength. 

A. BUSINESS letter is not for rhetorical display purposes, 
but is written to serve a definite purpose. Fortunately, 
Americans are not, like some European peoples, slaves to 
their language, but regard it as a vehicle of expression — 
something to be used as a carpenter uses his tools. We dis- 
regard tradition and use it to serve our present purposes. 

This does not mean that misuse of the language is per- 
missible or excusable. It may be free from last-century 
phrases, be fresh and virile, yet be well chosen and grammati- 
cally correct. Short, well defined words have greater strength 
than long, indefinite ones. The most enduring thoughts and 
the most compelling statements of the past have come to 
us in short, clear, crisp expressions. 



SALES LETTERS 



71 



PRACTICE 

1. Continue the real estate letter begun in Ex. 1, Lesson 18. Prove to 
the reader the advantages to him of the property you have to sell. 

2. Continue the sales letter begun in Ex. 2, Lesson 18. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 



a n 



a a 



it a 



a t. a 


« 


3, 


« 18. 


a it a 


it 


4, 


< 18. 


a a a 


it 


5, 


< 18. 


a tt a 


a 


6, 


18 


tt tt a 


a 


7, 


< 18 



LESSON 81: SALES LETTERS 

Persuasion 

YOU are now on common ground with your correspond- 
ent and have pictured your article or made your proposi- 
tion clear to his mind. He may be interested in it and recog- 
nize its value, but it will not do to let him stop there. He must 
be persuaded that he needs it. 

Persuasion must be used with caution, as too much of it 
presumes an intimacy of acquaintance which does not exist, 
and which is, consequently, resented. The good impression 
already made may be completely spoiled by over -doing in 
this matter, for we naturally resent any one's being more 
familiar than the acquaintance warrants. 



J.HE power of suggestion is often more effective than a 
plain statement and is much used in advertising. Did you 
ever open the mid- winter number of a magazine to a picture 
of a seashore resort in the sunny South, representing people 
enjoying those summer pastimes of which you are so fond? 
You unconsciously put into this picture some of your own 
experiences which you have greatly enjoyed. It is an attrac- 
tive picture, and it makes you want to pack your suit case 
and take the next train going south. 



72 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

What is it all for? It is to sell railroad or steamship tickets, 
yet very little is said about selling tickets. The price you will, 
of course, want to know; so it is put in somewhere near the 
end of the advertisement, but it is by no means conspicuous. 
Instead of picturing the summer resort with its delightful 
recreations, the railroad might have said, "You had better 
go to Key West for the winter. The round trip is $50." No- 
tice the difference. In the first case you not only wish to 
go, but your anticipation is the keener because you seem to 
have come to this decision yourself — something new — an 
original thought. This is your plan, your trip; and you are 
anxious to start. In the second case you would have turned 
the page with, " Why should I go to Key West ? " and would 
never have thought of it again. We cannot illustrate our 
letters with pictures; but we can make an appeal to the 
imagination, and the reader will see the mental pictures on 
the typewritten page. 

An insurance company might say: — 

When a man crosses the "dead line" of fifty his earn- 
ing power begins to wane; but his insurance goes right on 
earning for him, and he has no anxiety for the future. 
There will be no unpleasant memories of "better days" nor 
"gloomy forecasts" of the future, as he has made prudent 
provision for those dependent upon him as well as for 
himself . 

This does not tell him out and out that some day he will be old 
and dependent, but it suggests the possibility. The commen- 
dation of the prudent man is not lost on him when used in 
this connection. While nothing is said about the reader, yet 
he cannot help applying the case to himself. It is your sug- 
gestive persuasion that gets his signature to an application 
for insurance, though he thinks he is doing it of his own ini- 
tiative. The subtlety of suggestion has won the day, while 



SALES LETTERS 



73 



open, undisguised pressure might have driven him farther 
away from the question. 

A.N experienced writer of sales letters says, "Propositions 
in which the prosperity and comfort of the customers 
are involved lend themselves to sale by persuasion, while 
commodities of daily business are best presented without it. 
When it is necessary to use persuasion, be sure to mix it with 
something else." * 

PRACTICE 

1. Continue the real estate sales letter begun in Lesson 18 by writing a 
persuasive paragraph. 

2. Continue the sales letter begun in Ex. 2, Lesson 18. 



3. 


<< 


«< < 


i fit a 


a a 3, 


< 18. 


4. 


a 


<< t 


<< a 


( a 4, 


* 18 


5. 


a 


ti < 


<< tt 


. « 5, , 


< 18 


6. 


a 


«< t 


tt a 


u « 6, 


i< 18 


7. 


a 


a ( 


a n 


« « 7, . 


< 18 



LESSON 22: SALES LETTERS 

YOUR correspondent may be interested in your propo- 
sition, convinced of its value, and persuaded that he will 
accept it sometime; but he delays, simply because there 
seems to be no reason for doing it now. This delay is fatal 
in order-getting. Show him some real reason why he should 
act at once, and your letter is likely to get the order. 

Once interested, the reader is naturally spurred by the state- 
ment that the supply is limited and that he must order at 
once or this exceptional opportunity will slip through his 
fingers. Special sales, bargain days or weeks, special discounts 
for a limited time, limited supply are all good inducements. 

1 How to Write Letters that Win, 



74 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



A dealer in neostyles might stimulate action by a paragraph 
like this: — 

Let us send you a machine on a week's trial, free, 
thus affording you a good opportunity to see how perfectly* 
it is adapted to your needs. The machine, when purchased, 
really costs nothing, as it often pays for itself in a month's 
time and, after that, adds regularly to the dividends by 
the saving in printing which it effects. The trial costs 
you nothing, and the time it saves will mean just so much 
additional efficiency. 

Here are additional reasons why the machine should be 
ordered: a free trial; it saves money, therefore delay means 
a loss, also a loss in office efficiency. 

PRACTICE 

1. Continue the real estate letter, by writing a paragraph showing some 
additional reason for securing a home now. 

2. Continue the sales letter begun in Ex. 2, Lesson 18. 



3. 


44 44 


44 44 44 


44 44 3, « 


< 18. 


4. 


44 44 


(4 44 44 


4, « 4, . 


■ 18. 


5. 


44 4. 


44 44 44 


44 44 5, 4 


18. 


6. 


44 44 


44 (4 (4 


44 44 6, < 


18. 


7. 


(4 (i 


44 44 44 


« „ 7, . 


< 18. 



LESSON 23: SALES LETTERS 

Climax 

Jc ROM the opening sentence of the letter, the writer has 
been trying to awaken interest and create a sufficient desire 
for the article to get the reader's name to the order. This 
is a critical point, as any salesman will aver. All the previous 
marshaling of forces has been to capture this final point, the 
signature. All previous work culminates here and, to pre- 



SALES LETTERS 75 

vent hesitation or delay on the part of the reader, the send- 
ing of the order must be made so easy that there is no excuse 
for not sending it. 
To say, 

Sign and mail the enclosed postal, and the desk will be 
sent you at once, 

makes it so easy that he feels impelled to order. 
The magazine advertiser who says, 

Tear off the attached coupon and mail to-day, 

makes use of the same idea. No letter to be written — simply 
insert the name and address and drop into the nearest mail 
box, and the advertiser will do the rest. What could be 
simpler? 

Jl ROBABLY every one of you has received a letter describ- 
ing some article, a book for example; and from the first 
sentence you were carried irresistibly from paragraph to para- 
graph to the climax which said, 

Fold a dollar bill into this letter, mail to-day, and 
the book is yours. 

It was so easy that you probably did it at once. If the letter 
had closed with, "Write us enclosing a postal money order, 
express money order, or bank draft on Boston or New York, " 
probably you would not have ordered it, simply because it 
looked like a task to write the letter and get the money ord6r 
or draft. The advertiser knows just how the reader feels 
about writing letters and buying drafts and makes the order- 
ing so easy that you are sure to send for the book — "Simply 
fold a dollar bill into the letter." Nothing could be easier. 
To leave a difficulty in the way of ordering invites delay, 
which is likely to result in loss of interest and failure to order. 



76 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

CONTINUING the sales talk on neostyles, the letter runs : 

The number of machines available for this purpose is 
limited, and we are so confident that you will want to try 
one of them that we are holding a machine for you for a day 
or two. We can reserve it but a few days longer, as it 
will be needed to fill another order. Simply sign and mail 
the enclosed postal at once, and we will send the machine 
immediately. 

The reader feels that any delay in answering may lose 
for him this opportunity — it's "now or never." Contrast 
the above order-pulling close with the following listless clos- 
ings which formed part of what were intended for sales let- 
ters, received through the mails a few days ago: — 

"Trusting to hear from you in due course." 
"If you have had an opportunity of looking through these 
particulars, we shall be very much interested to hear what 
you think of . . . and whether we can be of any further serv- 
ice to you in this direction." 

"If you are not in the market at the moment, please file 
for future reference." 

These three fail from weak closings. They actually sug- 
gest delay — fatal delay. 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a closing paragraph for the real estate letter which you have 
been writing in the preceding lessons. 

2. Continue the sales letter begun in Ex. 2, Lesson 18. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 



.< 3, 


a 


18 


« 4, 


*< 


18 


« 5, 


a 


18 


.< 6, 


a 


18 


'< 7, 


a 


18 



SALES LETTERS 77 

LESSON 24: SALES LETTERS (continued) 

1. Assemble the parts of your real estate letter which you have been 
writing, revising where necessary to make its parts related, well balanced, 
and harmonious from beginning to end. 

Treat, as in Ex. 1 of this lesson, the parts of the sales letter written: 

2. In Ex. 2 of the preceding lessons. 



3. < 


( a 


3 u « 


4. « 


t a 


4 << « 


5. * 


i it 


5 « u 


6. < 


t it 


6 « « 


7. < 


t a 


7 M u 



LESSON 25: SALES LETTERS (continued) 

±HE American love of fair play makes us, almost uncon- 
sciously, take sides with the person who is being criticized. 
This makes every reference to a competitor, except those 
of a very general nature, act as a boomerang. In business 
it is an advertisement for the one criticized and means a loss 
of business to the one making the criticism. When you 
talk about your competitor, your prospective customer for- 
gets about you — better keep his mind on the merits of your 
own goods. Emphasize their strong selling points and show the 
prospective customer how they are adapted to his needs, 
and you will sell goods from your own store instead of from 
the one across the street. 

Goods must sell on their own merits or on the service ren- 
dered in connection with them, rather than upon the ruins 
of your competitor's reputation. Keep your prospect's mind 
upon your goods, and he will forget that you have a com- 
petitor — the order will be yours. 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a sales letter for use in selling a book. 

2. a a « « a 4 < ( « « c« certain make of pencils. 

3. « a << a a a a a reading lamps. 



78 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

4. Write a sales letter for use in selling gas ranges. 

&• " " " « « « « « vacuum cleaners. 

LESSON 26: SALES LETTERS (continued) 

iHE postscript, formerly used for important additions 
to the letter, and later discarded, is now being used as a 
means of emphasizing some important point that would 
not be sufficiently emphasized in the body of the letter. 
It is now much used by writers of form letters. 

PRACTICE 
In the following exercises, make judicious use of the postscript device: 

1. Write a sales letter for use in selling table silver. 

2. Write a sales letter for selling a certain make of fountain pens. 

3. Write a letter to be sent by a commercial school to prospective stu- 
dents, setting forth the advantages of a commercial education in general 
and the particular advantages offered by this school. 

4. Write a form letter for use in selling accident insurance. 

5. Write a sales letter for use in selling farm property. 

LESSON 27: ANNOUNCEMENTS 

M.AIL order houses keep in touch with their customers by 
use of form letters in announcing openings, special sales, ar- 
rival of new goods, etc., etc. 

These letters, like all other sales letters, must guard against 
putting the stress or emphasis in the wrong place. They are 
not intended to take the place of a booklet or catalogue but, 
being necessarily brief, must center on one or two features 
that are of great importance to the reader. 

In well-to-do communities, style, in clothing for example, 
appeals strongly to a woman; durability, to a man; and 
comfort and convenience, to every one. In less wealthy 
communities, the matter of price is often of first considera- 
tion. The writer of such letters must know his customers and 



ANNOUNCEMENTS 79 

approach them with the selling points that appeal most 
strongly to them. 

In selling over the counter, the head salesman comes in 
contact with very few of the customers, and the spirit of the 
house may or may not be well represented by the salespeople. 
But the form letter makes it possible for the head salesman 
to talk directly to a large clientele no matter how widely 
separated they may be. 

These letters should be informal without being familiar, 
and they ought to have the personal touch. Notice the tone 
of the following letter from a shoe firm to a customer living 
seven thousand miles away : — 

Dear Madam :- 

With the coming of spring you will be interested in 
the new styles in shoes, and we take pleasure in sending 
you our Spring Style Book. 

Among the styles shown you will find plain pumps, 
instep strap pumps, ankle strap pumps. Oxfords with ribbon 
laces, and other models; in patent leather, dull leather, 
suede, or soft pliable kid. Our styles were never before 
so attractive, and every shoe has the comfort for which the 
Shoe is famous. 

You have worn the Shoe during previous seasons, 

and we shall be glad to fill your order again. Kindly send 
us a Money Order for the price of the style you select, 
with 25 cents per pair added to prepay the delivery charges. 
We have a record of your size, and will send the shoes 
promptly. 

Yours truly, 



Note. — This letter made a good impression because (1) the name and 
address were absolutely correct; (2) it opens with the undeniable statement 



80 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

that spring is coming (dated Mar. 17th) which tends to find a common 
ground with the reader; (3) it assumes that the reader will be interested in 
a style book — a very safe assumption; (4) comfort is suggested; (5) it is 

personal. It says "You have worn the Shoe in previous seasons," 

also "We have a record of your size"; (6) the tone is that of an acquaint- 
ance, yet there is no familiarity about it. 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a letter to announce, to your regular customers, the arrival 
of a new stock of gloves. 

2. Announce millinery opening. 

3. « the arrival of a stock of garden seeds. 

4. « « a a a a a lawn mowers. 

5. « « tt « camping outfits. 



LESSON 28: FOLLOW-UP LETTERS 

_LO drive a nail requires several blows of the hammer; and 
the larger the nail, the more blows are required. This is 
as true of sales letters as it is in the driving of nails. 

The mail order house pounds away at its proposition with 
letter after letter until the reader is convinced and the order 
clinched; or, until further efforts seem useless. These letters 
form a series, each one being related to the others. 

The number of letters in a series and the frequency with 
which they are sent depends upon the nature of the business. 
There may be three or four, or there may be six or eight in 
the series; and they may be mailed ten days or a month apart, 
depending upon circumstances. Once begun, the series con- 
tinues at stated intervals until an answer is received or the 
series finished. 

The first letter should be strong, but it must not be spread 
over too much ground. It is better to put the emphasis on 
but one or two points. The second letter uses more persua- 
sion — presents the proposition from a different point of 
view or in some new relation. Likewise the third and the 



FOLLOW-UP LETTERS 81 

fourth, to the end of the series. The force of the argument 
may be increased by reference to the preceding letters. 

The following set of letters is a good illustration of the sub- 
ject of this lesson : — 

Dear Sir: — 

Your name has been given to us as one who would be in- 
terested in Accident Insurance. 

In return for a small monthly premium, you and your 
family will be protected against loss of wages in event of 
sickness or accident. 

The latest report of the Insurance Commissioner states 
that last year the wage-earners in Massachusetts alone 
saved $25,000 in wages, which would have been lost because 
of accident and sickness, had these men not been insured in 
accident associations. One man in Worcester was ill for 
ten months, but he received the regular weekly allowance 
of $12.50 from our company — $500 in all — from date of acci- 
dent, just as though he had been working at his regular em- 
ployment. This is but one of the many cases of the kind. 
We should be glad to do the same for you under similar cir- 
cumstances. Had it not been for the protection furnished 
by our company last winter, many families would have suf- 
fered keenly. 

The very low rate, quoted in the enclosed booklet, is 
possible because we do business wholly by correspondence, 
thus saving you the agent's large commission, which would 
have to be added to your premium were we to do business 
through agents instead of by correspondence. 

This Association is organized on a sound business basis 
and has a reputation for fair dealing, as any banker will 
tell you; or, you will find our rating in Bradstreet ' s. 

Do not delay in this important matter, but fill out the 
enclosed application and mail to-day — even one day's delay 
may mean a loss to you. 

Yours very truly. 



82 THE BUSINESS LETTER 



Dear Sir: — 

Protection against the loss of wages. 

About which we wrote you two weeks ago, is of vital 
importance to every man who has others depending upon him. 

One man in every eight meets with accident, as is shown 
by statistics. No one working at your trade should be un- 
protected — the risk is too great. But for 75c. per month — 
2ic. a day — we will take this risk for you; and in case 
of accident or sickness you will receive more money from us 
than you could possibly have saved from your wages without 
insurance. 

This plan of insurance is very popular and appeals at 
once to the business judgment of every man who works at a 
trade or business where there is danger of accident. 

The comfort of those depending upon him makes a strong 
appeal to every prudent man. 

So fill out the enclosed application blank and get this 
protection at once. 

Very truly yours. 



FOLLOW-UP LETTERS 83 



Dear Sir: 

You are certainly - considering the matter of Accident 
Insurance about which we have been writing you. 

Its value is indisputable. In nearly every case it is 
simply a question of when to begin, and there can be but 
one answer; viz., "Now." 

As you already know, the Company's payments to the pol- 
icy holder, in case of accident or illness, increase each 
year while the policy is in force. In case of disability 
during the first year, $50 per month is paid; $55 during 
the second; $60 the third; and so on until the end of the 
5th year when a paid-up policy for $500 is issued. 

This stands as a permanent asset; and several such pol- 
icies acquired, one at a time, during one's earning period 
not only give him protection while employed, but also pro- 
vide a valuable asset for his family. Thus a man may ap- 
proach the "dead line" of fifty, bringing decreased earning 
power, without gloomy forecasts of the future, because he 
has made prudent provision for himself and family. 

As a matter of self-protection, send your application 
to-day — to-morrow may be too late. 

Very truly yours, 

P.S. Remember it costs but 75c. per month — 2?c . per day. 

!^OME writers of follow-up letters make the mistake of 
affecting slight offense in case no answer has been received 
to previous letters. If a man answers your advertisement, 
asking for a catalogue or booklet, but finds nothing in it that 
exactly suits his needs, he naturally dislikes to be accused 
of "willful neglect" or "discourtesy," because he does not 
continue the correspondence. Anyway, a prospective cus- 
tomer must be led, not driven. You are much more likely 



84 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

to win your case by presenting your proposition in a more 
attractive way than by affecting "wounded feelings." 



PRACTICE 

1. Write a four-letter series of follow-up letters. Your instructor will 
assign work for this exercise. 

2. Write a four-letter series of follow-up letters to be sent to a list of 
lawyers who are known to be interested in the purchase of document files. 

3. Write a three-letter series of follow-up letters to be sent to the clergy- 
men of your vicinity. The purpose is to sell typewriters. 

4. Write a three-letter series of follow-up letters to be sent to a list of 
women, the purpose being to sell fireless cookers. 

5. Write a follow-up letter to sell adding machines to bankers. 



LESSON 29: LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION 

A LETTER of introduction is used to introduce two of 
your acquaintances to each other, when the introduction can- 
not be made in person. 

Great care should be used in this matter of introductions, 
lest your friend be embarrassed or annoyed by the demands 
made upon him by this new acquaintance. These letters 
should not be too frequently given. 

Such a letter should be short and to the point, containing 
a few words of sincere commendation of the person being 
introduced, and stating in general the purpose of the intro- 
duction. To say too much may make the letter distasteful. 

The letter is given unsealed to the person being intro- 
duced, who delivers it in person, usually, to the one for whom 
it is intended. If sent by mail, it is, of course, sealed as any 
other letter. The envelope bears the name and address of the 
person to whom it is to be given; and the words, " Introducing 

Mr. " are written in the lower left-hand corner of 

the envelope, so that the bearer may be greeted at once. 

The following is a common form of introduction: — 






LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 85 

Dear Sir: 

This will introduce to you Mr. Henry Benton, a 
personal friend, who is looking for a favorable 
location for a button factory in or near your city. 

He is a wide-awake and thoroughly reliable busi- 
ness man, and any attention you may be able to give 
him will be fully appreciated by him as well as by 
me. 

Faithfully yours, 

PRACTICE 

1. By letter introduce Mr. S. W. Wing, a lawyer in your city, to Mr. 
Elliot Stock, 275 Lake St., Buffalo, N.Y. State the purpose of the in- 
troduction. 

2. Introduce your bookkeeper, who is moving with his family to St. 
Louis, to George Stanley Ross of that city, 1249 Enterprise Building. 

3. Introduce Mr. Clarence Woodrow, a young man whom you have 
known for five years and who has just graduated from the high school. 

4. Introduce Miss Clara Wells, a teacher, to the high school Principal 
John C. Worth, Louisville, Ky. Miss Wells wishes to locate in that city. 

5. Introduce B. J. Dodge, a prosperous young business man of your city, 
to Clifton Heck, a real estate dealer, Buffalo, N.Y. Mr. Dodge is looking 
for a business opening in the farm and garden machinery business. 

LESSON 30: LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 

1.HESE letters, which testify to the ability and character 
of the persons owning them, are of two kinds — personal 
and general. The first kind is addressed to some individ- 
ual or firm and is similar to other letters. The second is more 
formal, being a testimonial rather than a letter. It is not 
addressed to any one in particular and opens with a general 
salutation; as, "To whom it may concern:" "To the bus- 
iness community:" etc. 



86 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

CyAUTION should be used not to recommend unworthy 
persons, lest your word no longer carry weight, or injury be 
done to the person who acts upon your recommendation, 
by engaging an incompetent or unworthy person. The one 
recommended also suffers if, by reason of too strong a recom- 
mendation, he secures a position that he is unable to fill. 
Such a failure will do him a lasting injury. It ought to be the 
pride of every one of affairs to recommend only those who 
are known to be worthy. Because a person asks for a recom- 
mendation is no reason for saying things about him that are 
wholly or in part untrue. It is far better for the interests 
of the candidate, as well as for your own reputation, to be 
conservative rather than to over-recommend. A few brief, 
pointed statements concerning the character and ability of 
the candidate are sufficient — length should be avoided. 

_L HE letter is usually given to the person recommended, who 
presents it in person; or, in case it is not presented in person, 
the original is kept and a copy of it is sent by mail. A copy 
of the letter should be plainly marked "Copy" either at top 
or bottom. In case of a personal letter of recommendation, 
it is mailed by the writer directly to the person addressed. 

To whom it may concern: 

The bearer, Mr. Cyril Edwards, has been in my employ 
as bookkeeper for the past three years and has shown 
himself to be neat and accurate in his work and faithful 
in the discharge of all duties assigned him. 

He is a young man of worth and reliability. I have no 
hesitancy in recommending him for office work. 

Yours truly, 

J_N securing a business position, these letters are now used 
less than formerly. To refer to some one who knows you, 






LETTERS OF APPLICATION 87 

or for whom you have worked, will be of more value to 
you than a glowing letter of recommendation. The letter of 
recommendation has praise only, while in writing to a refer- 
ence your prospective employer may ask questions about you 
which are not, or would not be, answered in a recommenda- 
tion. 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a letter of recommendation for Charles Fisher, who has been 
your secretary for the past five years. 

2. Write a letter of recommendation for Mr. Frank Mayor, who has 
been your bookkeeper for two years. 

3. Recommend a young traveling salesman who now wishes to form 
business connections in Seattle, Wash. 

4. Recommend your credit man, who now wishes to settle in Buffalo, 
N.Y. 

5. Recommend your office assistant, who has been with you for four 
years and has given satisfaction. 

LESSON 31: LETTERS OF APPLICATION 

JL HE key that unlocks the door of the business, and often 
the professional, world for young men and women is the 
letter of application. Thorough preparation for the work 
sought is, of course, presupposed, and a part of this prepara- 
tion must be in letter writing. It is the letter which brings 
consideration, and by which your fitness or unfitness for the 
work is judged. A good letter may not secure the first posi- 
tion for which you apply, because of other equally well pre- 
pared or more experienced candidates, but it is a settled fact 
that a poor letter will actually prevent you from getting it. 

The primary object of this letter is to gain an interview. 
It should, therefore, be terse and business-like, and the 
statements concerning your qualifications and ability should 
be modest. The interview will give your prospective employer 
an opportunity to ask for whatever further information he 



88 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

may desire. You may then answer frankly concerning your 
preparation, etc., while the same statements unasked-for in a 
letter might seem boastful. 

A letter of application should contain information concern- 
ing the applicant's preparation, age, experience, references; 
it should state whether he is married or single and the salary 
expected (when asked for) ; and it should be well written, on 
good stationery, and in a business-like style. 

JL HE preparation refers to the schools attended, the courses 
taken which have a direct bearing upon the work to be 
done, and anything in the way of study or investigation which 
makes for efficiency. State your qualifications frankly, yet 
modestly. 

X HE prospective employer wishes to know the age of the 
candidate that he may judge somewhat of his maturity of 
judgment, development, and ability to bear responsibility. 
In some positions the question of age is a very important one, 
and it is always well to state it. 

J_F the candidate has had experience in work similar to 
that he is seeking, he should state the nature of the work 
done and for whom he worked. The candidate who has had 
some successful experience and can refer to his employer, 
already has an aid in securing employment which is better 
than a handful of testimonials. 

JjUSINESS men are always glad to say a good word for 
those who have done them good service. The name of such 
a man or of some one who knows you well is of great assist- 
ance in getting a position; but never mention any one as ref- 
erence without first getting his permission to do so. This is 
important. The address of the reference should in no case be 
omitted. 



LETTERS OF APPLICATION 89 

IT is not necessary to state whether married or single when 
the age given or the fact of recent graduation from high 
school clearly indicates it. For a boy of 17 or 18 years of age 
to state that he is unmarried would be wholly unnecessary; 
but if the candidate has reached the age when he may rea- 
sonably be expected to have a home of his own, he should 
state whether married or not. In positions of trust, or where 
more than usual judgment and close application to work is 
required, this is important for the prospective employer to 
know. 

fVHEN the advertiser asks to have the candidate state 
the salary expected, the candidate should state in plain fig- 
ures the lowest amount he will take. To say "moderate" 
salary is vague, as $100 a month might be a very small salary 
for one man and be an exorbitant salary for another. Do not 
say "salary no object." This might be true in rare cases, but 
such a statement is more likely to have an element of false- 
hood in it. Besides, no one wants you to work for nothing — 
a business man is willing to pay for service. If the advertise- 
ment does not ask to have the salary stated, it is well to leave 
that until a subsequent letter or until the interview. 

IT is false economy to use poor stationery. As one is judged 
by his personal appearance, so he is judged by the appearance 
and make-up of his letters. No letter looks as well on poor 
stationery as on good stationery; and the choice is as much 
a matter of taste as of expense. 

Your business ability will be determined, somewhat, by 
your style of writing. If you are business-like, your letter 
will indicate it by being clear and concise. The real object, 
of the application is to secure an interview, and the points 
mentioned above are necessary to interest your prospective 
employer in you and to give him a pretty definite knowledge 
of your fitness for the work. 



90 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

UPON taking a responsible position, particularly when 
money is to be handled, the candidate is required to give 
security. One way to get this security is to have two prop- 
erty owners who know you to act as your bondsmen. The 
more usual way is to employ the services of one of the Bond 
and Reference Associations whose business it is to act as 
bondsman in such cases. After a thorough inquiry concern- 
ing the honesty, ability, and habits, etc., of the candidate, 
the Association will, if reports are satisfactory, for a certain 
per cent of the salary, act as bondsman. In some cases the 
employee pays the premium, while in others it is paid by 
the employer. 

The following is a suggested form of application. It is 
given merely as an aid, not to be copied. 

Gentlemen: 

I have just heard, through Mr. Hallway, your head 
bookkeeper, that you are looking for an assistant for him. 
Please consider me as a candidate for the position. 

I am 22 years of age, single, and am a graduate of the 
New York School of Commerce. For reference, I am at liberty 
to refer you to Mr. S. A. Whitman, 987 West St., Detroit, 
Mich., for whom I have worked for two years as assistant 
bookkeeper, and to Professor Alexander Block, 100 Washing- 
ton Square, New York, who can speak accurately of my work in 
the School of Commerce. 

Assuring you that, should I be chosen, I would do all 
in my power to make the work satisfactory, I am, 
Yours respectfully, 

The following is a copy of a successful letter of application. 
The advertisement was cut from the daily paper and enclosed 
with the letter. It stated the necessary qualifications, making 



LETTERS OF APPLICATION 91 

their repetition unnecessary. References were not sent, but 
promised. 



Dear Sir:- 

I find the enclosed advertisement in the day's Times. 
I can meet all the requirements and should enter with en- 
thusiasm upon the work offered. 

Should you grant me an interview, I will meet you at 
such time and place as you may appoint and will bring 
references that cannot be other than satisfactory , 

Awaiting your answer, I am 

Yours truly. 

The following form is more of a tabular statement of 
qualifications than a letter of application. It is less fre- 
quently used than the other forms given in this lesson. 

Gentlemen :- 

I wish to say, in answer to your advertisement for a 
stenographer, in to-day's Journal, that my preparation and 
qualifications are as follows: — 

Age: 21. 

Nationality: Americari. 

Habits: Good. I neither smoke nor drink. 

Education: Commercial High School — shorthand course. 
[Speed in shorthand and typewriting mentioned here.] 

Disposition: Work harmoniously with associates. 

Experience: [Here the positions held, if any, and the reasons 
for leaving are stated definitely. If inexperienced, training in school 
is mentioned.] 

Salary: Nine dollars a week at start. 

Yours truly, 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



PRACTICE 

1. Answer the following advertisements, which were taken from the 
daily papers : — 

(1.) YOUNG WOMAN as stenographer for new con- 
cern; state age, experience, and salary now received 
in first letter. Address P-55, Journal Office. 

(2.) ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER AND STENOGRA- 
pher, accustomed to detail clerical work ; Protestant ; 
5 years experience; state salary and furnish refer- 
ences. Address H-110, Journal Office. 

(3.) WANTED. Young woman, 16 to 20 years old, as 
assistant bookkeeper and typist, one with experi- 
ence preferred. Address, giving reference, W-106, 
Journal Office. 

(4.) WANTED. A young man as bookkeeper and re- 
ceiving clerk. Address or apply THE GEO. B. ■ 
FROST FINISHING CO., East Killingly, Conn. 

(5.) ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER — YOUNG MAN; must 
be good at figures ; fine opening for right person ; 
$12 to start; state age, experience, references. Ad- 
dress E N 38; Journal. 

(6.) YOUNG WOMAN— WHO CAN OPERATE TYPE- 
writer; shorthand not necessary; fine opportunity 
for advancement; state age, education, experience, 
and salary to begin. Address T P 24, Post. 

(7.) STENOGRAPHER AND TYPEWRITER — Young 
lady, well educated, experienced in keeping files, 
rapid writer, and willing worker; hours 8:30 to 6. 
Make application in own handwriting, stating ex- 
perience and naming former employers. Address W 
2, Transcript. 

(8.) ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER — A BRIGHT young 
man; must be good penman and correct at figures; 
good opportunity for advancement. Address H-140, 
Leader. 

(9.) STENOGRAPHER — HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, 
for position in large office; must have at least six 
months' experience; write fully, giving age, expe- 
rience and education; salary to start $10. Ad- 
dress A. C. 68, Tribune. 

(10.) STENOGRAPHER AND ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER 
— Young woman; $8 to start; opportunity for 
advancement for one who is accurate. Address A 
M-290, Journal Office. 



REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION 93 

LESSON 32: REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION 

XvEQUESTS for information that may, by their nature, lead 
to business transactions, such as requests for catalogues, 
price lists, descriptions, estimates, etc., are not regarded as 
one-sided favors, but as incidental to business. In making 
such a request it is not necessary to send postage for a reply; 
but — 

ALL requests made by mail for information or favor for 
the benefit only of the person seeking it, should be accom- 
panied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. It is enough 
that your informant answer your question without putting 
him to the expense of paying postage on it. For an occasional 
letter of this kind the postage would be insignificant; but 
to firms, especially banks, who are constantly receiving such 
letters, the expense would be considerable. Anyway, it shows 
thoughtfulness and consideration to the other man to enclose 
the return postage. 

An international postage coupon called Coupon de Response 
which is exchangeable for a 5-cent stamp or its equivalent may 
now be obtained at most of the post offices of the world. This 
coupon is redeemable in the postage of the country in which 
it is presented for payment. It is designed, as its name im- 
plies, to facilitate the prepayment of postage on return let- 
ters. Prior to its authorization in 1909, it was often embarrass- 
ing to write to an entire stranger for information in which 
he could have no money interest, without being able to pay 
the postage on his answer. 

WHEN information concerning the financial standing of 
a stranger can be obtained in no other way, it may sometimes 
be had by writing to a banker who knows him. Whatever 
is said is, of course, strictly confidential; and no honorable 
man would betray the confidence. 



94 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

If your informant can give a favorable report, he is happy 
to do so; if he can say nothing favorable, he will say little or 
nothing — not a bad plan for every one — and no names will 
be mentioned. More is to be read between the lines than in 
them. A brief letter giving little or no information is to be 
interpreted as unfavorable, unless the person asked about 
is a stranger to your correspondent. 

PRACTICE 

1. Write to the City National Bank, Rock Island, 111., asking about the 
financial standing of W. Johnson of that city. 

2. Take the place of the Cashier and answer this letter. 

3. Write to the National Tool Company, Pittsburg, Pa., asking whether 
Edgar Mills, an employee, is competent to superintend a branch factory. 

4. Take the place of the Superintendent of the National Tool Company 
and answer No. 3. 

5. Write to the Board of Trade, Springfield, Mass., asking whether 
suitable facilities for a toy factory could be found there. 



LESSON 33: PUBLIC LETTERS 

x UBLIC letters are written upon general topics of public 
interest, addressed to some prominent person, frequently 
to the editor of the newspaper, and intended for publica- 
tion. The purpose in addressing them to some one of 
prominence is that more interest attaches to them because 
of the personal feature which they thus acquire. 

Such a letter usually calls the attention of the public to 
some needed reform or measure, pointing out the present 
weakness and urging that steps be taken to remedy the 
matter. The plea in 'such a letter should always keep the in- 
terest of the public prominent. Should the readers see a 
selfish motive involved, the cause will be lost. The public 
is interested in the good of the public rather than in the 
selfish motives of the individual. 



PERSONAL vs. BUSINESS MATTERS 95 

PRACTICE 

1. Write a public or open letter to your newspaper editor, urging the 
need of a Y.M.C.A. in your city. 

2. Write a letter for your school paper, urging the need of several debat- 
ing societies in your school. 

3. Write a public letter to a local newspaper, urging the need of more 
shade trees on the newer streets. 

4. Write a public letter concerning speeding in your section of the city. 

5. Write a public letter urging the need and advantages of a Commercial 
High School in your city. 

LESSON 34: PERSONAL vs. BUSINESS MATTERS 

JN O man cares to have his social letters or personal mes- 
sages open to the inspection of the entire office force. Social 
or personal matter should not, therefore, be included in a 
business letter. If it is desirable to send a personal or social 
message to a friendr to whom you are writing business, it 
is better to write two letters. On the envelope containing 
the social letter put "Personal/' When this is done, the 
letter will not be opened by the receiving clerk or by any 
person other than the one addressed. 

The business letter might be enclosed with the one marked 
"Personal," but it is likely to be delayed in case the one to 
whom it is addressed is away from the office for a time. 

The social element or friendly tone gives a letter the human 
touch and is much used in business letter writing, but purely 
social matters are not intended for the office letter files. 

' The young office worker should remember that the office telephone was 
installed for business purposes, and he will do well to refrain from using 
it for personal matters, just as he would refrain from using his employer's 
stationery for writing love letters. 

It is never satisfactory to mix social and business matters, whether it 
be in the use of the telephone or the stationery or in your relations with 
others in the office. Think about this, often. 



96 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

PRACTICE 

1. Your employer wishes you to write to Theo. White, a real estate 
agent, your city, asking him to be on the lookout for a house for him in 
the neighborhood of Forest Park. He also wishes to invite Mr. White to 
dine with him next Friday evening at 7:30. 

2. Send an order to Sherwood & Co. for 10 No. 88 Magee ranges and 
invite Mr. Oscar Sherwood to join your employer (for whom you are writ- 
ing) in a fishing trip. 

3. Write for your employer, sending a check to R. H. Melton in payment 
of purchase made one month ago, and invite him to take an auto trip next 
Saturday afternoon. 

4. Write for your employer to Russell & Taylor, sending bank draft for 
$560. on acct. Also write a note of congratulation to Mr. W. R. Taylor 
who has just been elected mayor of his city. 

5. Write for your employer to Albert Wells, a lawyer, asking him what 
steps to take in securing a patent on a new gas burner. Ask his opinion 
about the future of " Standard Stocks " as an investment. 



PART THREE 
TELEGRAPH AND POST 

LESSON 35: TELEGRAMS AND CABLEGRAMS 

JVIESSAGES sent by wire, cable, or wireless, necessitate 
careful use of language — a more careful selection than any 
other form of message. They must be short, clear, and cap- 
able of but one interpretation. Clearness is essential, and no 
message should be shortened to a point beyond which the 
meaning is clear. Words having more than one meaning 
should be avoided, and the message should be so worded that 
punctuation is unnecessary. 

xN day telegrams ten words are sent at a fixed rate, accord- 
ing to distance, and in night messages fifty words may be 
sent at the same rate. Nothing is, therefore, gained in using 
fewer words than are allowed. Messages containing more 
than the specified number of words are charged for at a cer- 
tain rate per word in excess of the regular rate. 

Figures, initials, surnames, names of towns, cities, states, 
territories, provinces, or their abbreviations, and all abbrevia- 
tions of weights and measures are each counted as one word. 
Likewise, decimal points, punctuation marks, and such 
suffixes as st, d, th, etc., are each counted as one word. Rates 
are fixed according to distance. For day messages of more 
than ten words and for night letters of more than fifty words, 
an extra charge is made for each additional word. In a tele- 
gram, only the words of the message are counted, while in 
a cablegram, the name, address, and signature also are 
counted. 



98 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

J-HE necessity of brevity in messages has given rise to 
various code systems which use a single word or a com- 
bination of letters or figures to express an entire sentence. 
The "ABC Code/' 5th edition, is now much used; and any 
one possessing a copy may send or receive code messages at a 
great saving in expense. 

The following code words will illustrate their use: l 

Codak — At an early date. 

Codup — Let us know at once what you decide. 

Dasker — Cannot remit more than. 

Fadree — Was sent on. 

Fadni — Must be sent to-day in order to arrive on time. 

Formi — If time permits. 

To prevent the use of unnecessarily long or unpronounce- 
able words, the telegraph and cable companies have made it 
a rule that no code word will be accepted which is composed 
of more than ten letters. In unpronounceable words each 
letter is counted as a word. In cipher cable messages, which 
may be composed wholly or in part of figures, a group of 
such figures is counted as one word. In cabling, if any w T ord in 
plain language contains more than ten letters, extra charge 
will be made for that word; and any word in plain language 
having more than fifteen letters will be counted as two words. 

UPON the payment of a certain extra charge, the sender of 
a message may have his message "repeated," that is, tele- 
graphed back from the delivering office to the sending office 
for verification. 

M.ONEY may be sent by telegraph or cable; but it is quite 
expensive, a charge being made for the message in addition 
to the charge for handling the money. 

1 From the United States Express Co. Travelers' Code. 



TELEGRAMS AND CABLEGRAMS 99 

A. RECENT invention in telegraphic instruments has given 
rise to the Telepost Company, which sends messages at a 
uniform rate for all distances, and at a rate much lower than 
is charged by the telegraph companies. It has four kinds of 
service; viz., telegram, telecard, teletape, and telepost. 

A telegram is a message delivered by a special messenger, 
as is now done by the other companies. 

A telecard is a telegraphic message printed on a postcard 
at the delivering office and placed in the post office, and then 
delivered by the postman on his regular rounds. 

A teletape is the perforated strip of paper upon which 
the instrument records the message at the delivering office. 
This is mailed and delivered as in the case of a telecard. 

A telepost is a telegraphic message printed similarly to a 
letter at the delivering office and mailed in a sealed envelope 
and delivered as in the case of the telecard. 

The rates for these services are: a 10-word telecard, 10 
cents; a 25-word telegram or a 50- word telepost or a 100- 
word teletape, 25 cents. 

PRACTICE 

Condense the following letters into telegrams of not more than ten words 
each : — 

1. Dear Sir: — Can you arrange to meet me at the Bristol Hotel 

Wednesday, next, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Bring your client, and we 

will effect a settlement of his claim. / 

Yours truly, 

2. Gentlemen: — Please ship me 100 boxes of Palermo oranges next 

Monday and charge to my account. 

Yours truly, 

3. Dear Mother, 

While riding yesterday I was thrown from a horse and quite 
badly injured, though not seriously. I shall postpone my return home to- 
morrow, as I had planned, until some time next week, when I shall be 

fully recovered. 

Affectionately, 



100 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

4. Wire the ticket agent at Boston to reserve sleeper for you on the 
9 p.m. train for Chicago next Monday. 

5. Wire Thos. Cook & Sons, New York, to reserve a berth on the "Can- 
opic " which leaves next week Wednesday for Liverpool. Say that you are 
mailing a check for the necessary deposit on the ticket. 

6. Telegraph your traveling salesman, Mr. Charles Dunnley, now at 
Rock Island, 111., to call at once on Benson Brothers, 249 Water St., St. 
Louis, Mo., who are wanting quotations on a line of electric machinery. 

7. Telegraph your brother to meet you at the Central Station, Baltimore, 
upon your arrival. Mention train and date, and place of meeting. 

8. Order a bill of books by telegraph. 

9. Countermand the above order. 



LESSON 36: CLASSIFICATION OF MAIL MATTER 

J_N the United States, mail matter is divided into four 
classes as follows: — 

First class matter includes letters, postal cards, diplomas, 
written cards, drawings, designs, plans, and any other mat- 
ter partly printed and partly written (except as stated later), 
and all packages sealed so as to prevent inspection. The rate, 
in the United States, is two cents for each ounce or fraction 
thereof. This rate applies between post offices within the 
United States and from the United States to Cuba, Porto 
Rico, Hawaii, the Philippine Archipelago, the islands of 
Guam and Tutuila, Alaska, and the Canal Zone. 

The same rate applies to Canada, Mexico, Panama, Eng- 
land, Germany (under certain restrictions) and the city of 
Shanghai. To all other foreign countries the rate is five 
cents for each ounce or fraction thereof. The rate for postal 
cards is one cent within the country and two cents to foreign 
countries, except those mentioned in this paragraph. 

Second class matter includes all newspapers and periodi- 
cals issued regularly and not less frequently than four times 
a year. The rate is one cent per pound for publishers and 



CLASSIFICATION OF MAIL MATTER 101 

news dealers. For others it is one cent for each four ounces 
or fraction thereof. 

Third class matter embraces all parcels of books weighing 
eight ounces or less, and all transient newspapers, circulars, 
catalogues, proof sheets and manuscripts accompanying the 
same; miscellaneous printed matter or paper not having the 
nature of personal correspondence, photographs, valentines, 
and all other printed matter, if wrapped so as to be free to 
inspection without destroying the wrapper. The weight of a 
single package is limited, in this class, to four pounds, except 
in the case of books, as stated above. The rate is one cent for 
each two ounces or fraction thereof. 

There may be written or printed upon the blank leaves of any book, or 
upon any photograph, or other matter of the third class, a simple manu- 
script dedication or inscription not in the nature of personal correspond- 
ence. Such words, as "Dear Sir," "My dear friend," "Yours truly," 
"Sincerely yours," "Merry Christmas," "Happy New Year," and "With 
best wishes," written upon third-class matter, are permissible. 

That class of mail matter commonly known as fourth class 
is now embodied in parcel post matter and is described on the 
following page. 

Inscriptions, such as "Merry Christmas," "Happy New Year," "With 
best wishes," and "Do not open until Christmas," or words to that effect, 
together with the name and address of the addressee and of the sender, may 
be written on mail matter of the fourth class, or on a card enclosed there- 
with, without affecting its classification. 

IjNMAILABLE matter consists of liquids, poisons, ex- 
plosives, inflammable articles, or any other articles that are 
likely to injure the mails or the persons handling them; 
sharp pointed instruments, except when properly wrapped; 
and every letter or card upon which anything indecent is 
written or printed; and all matters relating to lotteries, fradu- 
lent schemes, etc. 



102 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

SPECIAL delivery stamps cost ten cents each; and when one 
is attached to a letter it insures prompt delivery by special 
messenger to persons living within the mail-carrier district 
of large cities and towns or within a given distance of post 
offices not having a carrier delivery. The regular postage must 
be paid on the letter in addition to the special delivery stamp. 

JlHE safe delivery of first and third class matter may be 
insured by registration. In case of loss the post-office depart- 
ment will pay to the amount of $50. The fee for registration 
is ten cents in addition to the regular postage. 

W HEN directing a letter that is to go to a foreign country, 
write the word "Foreign" where the stamp is to be placed. 
This will remind the one affixing the stamps that the foreign 
rate is to be paid. This will indicate, too, the carefulness of 
your house and save your correspondent the annoyance of 
paying double the amount of the insufficient postage. 

PARCEL POST INFORMATION 

The parcel post system provides that fourth-class mail matter shall 
embrace all other matter, including farm and factory products, and books, 
not now embraced by law in either the first, second, or third class, not 
exceeding 50 pounds in weight for delivery within the first and second zones 
or twenty pounds for delivery in any of the other zones, nor greater in size 
than 72 inches in length and girth combined, nor in form or kind likely to 
injure the person of any postal employee or damage the mail equipment or 
other mail matter, and not of a character perishable within a period 
reasonably required for transportation and delivery. 

RATES OF POSTAGE 

Parcels weighing four ounces or less are mailable at the rate of one 
cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce, regardless of distance. Parcels 
weighing more than four ounces are mailable at the pound rates shown 
in the following table, a fraction of a pound being considered a full pound : 



CLASSIFICATION OF MAIL MATTER 



103 



Weight. 



1 pound . . 

2 pounds . 

3 pounds . 

4 pounds . 

5 pounds . 

6 pounds . 

7 pounds . 

8 pounds . 

9 pounds . 

10 pounds . 

11 pounds . 

12 pounds . 

13 pounds . 

14 pounds . 

15 pounds . 

16 pounds . 

17 pounds . 

18 pounds . 

19 pounds . 

20 pounds , 



First zone. 



Local I Zone 
rate. I rate. 



Second 
zone 
rate. 



3.05 
.06 
.06 
.07 
.07 
.08 
.08 
.09 
.09 
.10 
.10 
.11 
.11 
12 
.12 
.13 
.13 
.14 
.14 
.15 



3.05 
.06 
.07 
.08 
.09 
.10 
.11 
.12 
.13 
.14 
.15 
.16 
.17 
.18 
.19 
.20 
.21 
.22 
.23 
.24 



$0.05 
.06 
.07 
.08 
.09 
.10 
.11 
.12 
.13 
.14 
.15 
.16 
.17 
.18 
.19 
.20 
.21 
.22 
.23 
.24 



Third 
zone 
rate. 



$0.06 
.08 
.10 
.12 
.14 
.16 
.18 
.20 
.22 
.24 
.26 
.28 
.30 
.32 
.34 
.36 
.38 
.40 
.42 
.44 



Fourth 
zone 
rate. 



$0.07 
.11 
.15 
.19 
.23 
.27 
.31 
.35 
.39 
.43 
.47 
.51 
.55 
.59 
.63 
.67 
.71 
.75 
.79 
.83 



Fifth 
zone 
rate. 



$0.08 
.14 
.20 
.26 



.44 
.50 
.56 



1.04 
1.10 
1.16 
1.22 



Sixth 


Seventh 


zone 


zone 


rate. 


rate. 


$0.09 


$0.11 


.17 


.21 


.25 


.31 


.33 


.41 


.41 


.51 


.49 


.61 


.57 


.71 


.65 


.81 


.73 


.91 


.81 


1.01 


.89 


1.11 


.97 


1.21 


1.05 


1.31 


1.13 


1.41 


1.21 


1.51 


1.29 


1.61 


1.37 


1.71 


1.45 


1.81 


1.53 


1.91 


1.61 


2.01 



Eighth 
zone 
rate. 

$0.12 

.24 

.36 

.48 

.60 

.72 

.84 

.96 

1.08 

1.20 

1.32 

1.44 

1.56 

1.68 

1.80 

1.92 

2.04 

2.16 

2.28 

2.40 



Up to 50 lbs. at same rates. 



The local rate is applicable to parcels intended for delivery at the office 
of mailing or on a rural route starting therefrom. The Post Office Depart- 
ment furnishes a key and map by which the zone for any post office may be 
determined. 

To parcels of books weighing more than 8 ounces, the pound rates 
shown in the table apply. 

PREPARATION FOR MAILING 

Parcels must be prepared for mailing in such manner that the contents 
can be easily examined. 

A parcel must not be accepted for mailing unless it bears the name and 
address of the sender, preceded by the word "From." 

Postmasters will refuse to receive for mailing parcels not properly in- 
dorsed or packed for safe shipment. 

WHERE MAILABLE 

Parcels must be mailed at a post office, branch post office, named or 
lettered station, or such numbered stations as may be designated by the 
postmaster, or delivered to a rural or other carrier duly authorized to 
receive such matter. 

Parcels collected on star routes must be deposited in the next post office 
at which the carrier arrives and postage charged at the rate from that 
office. 



104 THE BUSINESS LETTER 



INSURANCE OF PARCELS 



A mailable parcel on which the postage is fully prepaid may be insured 
against loss in an amount equivalent to its actual value, but not to exceed 
$50, on payment of a fee of 5 cents in stamps, such stamps to be affixed. 

PRACTICE 

State the classification to which each of the following pieces of mail 
matter belongs, and the postage required by each: — 

1. A sealed letter weighing \ ounce. 

2. A sealed envelope containing samples, 1 oz. 

3. A bundle of newspapers weighing 15 oz., sent by a publisher. 

4. A diploma weighing 8 oz. 

5. A drawing weighing 12 oz. 

6. A book weighing 33 oz. 

7. A newspaper weighing 2 oz. 

8. A package of flower seeds weighing 4 oz. 

9. A circular weighing \ oz. 

10. A photograph weighing 3 oz. 

11. A package of letter paper weighing 10 oz. 

12. A small bottle of ink weighing 3 oz. 

13. A letter to a foreign country weighing \\ oz. 

14. A parcel of merchandise weighing 4^ pounds within the 2d zone. 

15. A box of toilet articles weighing 16 pounds within the 1st zone. 






PART FOUR 

THE MORNING MAIL 

XHE morning mail represents but a small part of the in- 
coming mail of the firm for which you must now suppose 
yourself to be head stenographer. The answers to many of 
the incoming letters would, of course, be dictated to the 
stenographer; but the letters here given are handed to you 
to be answered. A few general instructions are given with 
each letter, which will determine the nature of the answer; 
but composition, tone, and quality are left to you. 

This work may be divided into lessons as the teacher wishes. It is a 
good review exercise. A group of these letters will make an excellent ex- 
amination. 



106 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Monday, June 1, 191-. — No. 1. 



THE OFFICE WORKER 

78 WEST 17TH STREET 



NEW YORK CITY, May 29, I9l-. 

Messrs. Stone & Company, 

85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 
Gentlemen: 

Your office force 

Can be kept in touch with the latest and best in office 
methods 

By putting THE OFFICE WORKER — our new monthly magazine 
for office people — into the hands of each member of the 
staff, as it comes from the press. 

Each issue is full of live articles and helpful experi- 
ences which cannot fail to stimulate interest and enthusiasm 
in this kind of work. The magazine is brim full of time- 
saving plans which will cut expenses and promote greater 
efficiency. 

The regular price is SI a year; but we are making a 
special offer, for a limited time, of just one half price- 
50 cents — in clubs of 10 or more. You cannot make a better 
investment than to put each member of your office force on 
our subscription list for a year. And this is really no ex- 
pense to you, as the 50 cents each, which you pay, will come 
back to you many times over before one half the 12 issues 
have been read. 

So sign the enclosed card and mail to-day. 

Yours truly. 

Manager Subscription Dep ' t . 



Prepare a card suitable for sending with this letter, then fill in and sign 
for your firm. Order 30 copies. 



THE MORNING MAIL 107 

Monday, June 1, 191- — No. 2. 



A. B. ALLEN 
General House Furnishings 



281 Broad St., 

Albany, N. Y., May 29, 19l- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St. , 

Boston, Mass. 
Gentlemen: — 

Please send me your catalogue of lamps. 
I am particularly interested in a drop lamp 
equipped for gas. 

Yours truly, 

CL. 18. QlLuYU. 
A/C . S . 



Write, saying that you are mailing him a catalogue. Mention the 
page upon which the drop lamps are described, and try to deepen his in- 
terest in these lamps. 

Use your best salesmanship in writing this letter. 



108 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Monday, June 1, 191- — No. 3. 



BAHAR BROS. 
importers' 



248 Nassau St. , 

New York City, May 28, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 
Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: 

The enclosed bill is a duplicate of the one sent 
you two weeks ago. The matter of payment was probably 
overlooked by you at that time. 

Our salesman will call on you some day next week 
with an unusually attractive line of men's neckwear. We 
are confident that you will place a large order for these 
goods. 

Yours truly, 

Bahar Bros. 

per 1%. 



AM/HS 



Send a check. Mention the amount of the check and give the date of the 
bill you are paying. 



THE MORNING MAIL 109 

Monday, June 1, 191-. — No. 4. 



C. A. DUNBAR, FS^ear 



BOX 248, 

ATTLEBORO, MASS., May 29, 191- . 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 
Gentlemen, 

Please send me a statement of my account, 
giving detailed items for May 12th and 21st. 

Yours truly, 

C. A. Dunbar. 

per (L 



Write, enclosing a statement. Your letter will, naturally, be brief. Some 
houses would send the statement without enclosing a letter; but when the 
letter is written you will have a record of the sending in your files. 



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THE MORNING MAIL 111 

Monday, June 1, 191-. — No. 6. 



OFFICE OF 

GENERAL SALES MANAGER 
THE DUNN MANUFACTURING COMPANY 



MENOMINEE, MICH., May 28, 1 9l-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 

Boston, Mass. 
Gentlemen, — 

We have your order No. 3195, dated May 24th, calling 
for one gross of folding doll carts, No. 100, same as 
those shipped you October 4, 1913. 

We regret to say that we have not one of these carts 
in stock, having sold out just before the Holidays. Our 
191- corresponding pattern will not be made up for some 
sixty or ninety days yet, and we therefore ask if you 
want us to hold your order until then, and ship when the 
carts are made up. 

Yours very truly, 

The Dunn Mfg. Co. 

By jc, e. a. 

Sales Department. 

LEA 
4/28 



Answer this. 



112 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Tuesday, June 2, 191-. — No. 1. 




Form F. 412. 

Tbe Hew Tort r lfBW Harenand HarUbrtBaflroai Co. 

FREIGHT DEPARTMENT 

^.<££^^ Station 

..,/•. 191 

The following freight has been received at this 
station consigned to you from 

All freight received over this Company's rails and 
unloaded in the freight houses or otherwise held in 
storage while on the premises of the Company, wilL 
be held at owner's risk of loss and damage, subject 
to charges for storage in accordance with the pub- 
lished tariffs. 



JL 

Pro. No.^^..^.^^Charges, %^.iu^ mi ^ 

Bring His notice witl Dill-of-lailing wien calling for conslgnmenl 

Make checks payable to the order of The Hew 
York, New Ha^ren and Hartford Railroad Company, 

-#-..>»»*55. " " ~ AGENT# 







The bill of lading for this car came several days ago. You will now write 
to the City Transfer Co., 239 Commercial St., enclosing a check in their 
favor for the freight. Also enclose this notice and the B/ L properly endorsed 
and ask them to deliver these goods to you. 



THE MORNING MAIL 113 

Tuesday, June 2, 191-. — No. 2. 



Sharon, Mass., May 31, 191- 
Messrs. Stone & Co., 

Boston, Mass. 
Gentlemen : — 

Owing to an accident which kept me from my usual 
employment for three weeks, May 4th to May 25th, I shall 
not be able* to settle my account on the first of the 
month. 

Will you please extend my time for two weeks, at 
which time I shall be able to pay. as I am now working. 

Yours truly. 



I§. JQ/. 3"W/U,ltA 



This customer has always been prompt, and you can safely grant his 
request. In answering this, the writer should guard against either patroniz- 
ing or saying anything that has the slightest suggestion of a sting in it. 
When you have the right spirit toward those to whom you write, your 
letters are sure to show it. 



114 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Tuesday, June % 191- — No. 3. 



Branches : Chicago, Denver, New Orleans 

THE NATIONAL TRADING COMPANY 

981 BROAD ST., NEW YORK 
Order No. 3842 . 
Shipped Via N. Y. N. H. & H . R. R. June 1, 191- . 

SOLD TO Messrs. Stone & Company, 
Boston, Mass. 

TERMS : CASH SO DAYS : 2% DISCOUNT 5 DAYS 






45 bbl. York Imperial Apples S2.25 
36 " Fall Russet n 2.40 
12 " » Rambo " 2.50 
27 baskets Bartlett Pears .55 
Freight prepaid 


101 
86 
30 
14 


25 
40 
00 
85 


232 

7 


50 
50 






240 


00 






Pay this bill. Note the terms before stating the amount of the check. 



THE MORNING MAIL 115 

Tuesday, June 2, 191-. — No. 4. 

farmers' change isattfc 

Surplus Interest paid 



200,000 HOME BANK BUILDING 



on deposits 



St. Louis, Mo., May 31, 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Company, 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

Mr. H. A. Hawkins, who was formerly in your employ 
and who is now starting in business for himself, has 
given your name as reference. 

Any information you can give me about his business 
ability, his promptness in collections, etc., will be 
held in confidence and much appreciated by me. 



Yours truly. 

Cashier, Farmers' Exchange Bank. 



A-E.H. 



Mr. Hawkins was superintendent of your grocery department for ten 
years. He built up the department, is a good business man, and there is 
every reason to believe that he will be successful in a business of his own. 
Write Mr. Anderson about Mr. Hawkins. 



116 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Tuesday, June 2, 191- — No. 5. 



EMPIRE PLATE & WINDOW GLASS CO. 
IMPORTERS 



French 

Window & 

Picture Glass 



20-22 Canal Street 



American 
Window Glass 
French Mirrors 



BOSTON,, 



June 1 , 



191- 



Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St. , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

We can arrange to set the plate glass for your new 
window, about which you wrote us yesterday, any day next 
week. If you have any preference as to the day it is 
done, please let us know, one day in advance. 

Yours truly, 



Empire Plate & Window Glass Co. 



By- 



llr C. r yiWn/Yv 



-Director 



Die. W.C.M. 



State when you want the work done and why you prefer that time. This 
will be much more effective than to ask to have it done "at once." 



THE MORNING MAIL 117 

Tuesday, June 2, 191- — No. 6. 



H. I. JAMES 

BUILDERS' HARDWARE 

Rock, Conn., June 1, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

I am returning the enclosed bill which belongs to Mr. 
Smith instead of me. 

I notice that you billed handsaws and hammers to him 
at a price about 10% lower than you sold the same goods to 
me on the same date. It seems from this that you have one 
price for one customer and another price for another. 

This, I think, is unfair, and I demand a refund of 
10% on all the business done with you in hammers and saws 
during the past year. 

Yours truly, 

Explain to Mr. James that when you sell in large quantities you are 
able to make better prices. The bill to which he refers (which was sent 
to him by mistake) is for a much larger quantity than that sold to Mr. 
James at any time during the year. This accounts for the difference in 
price. Assure him that, were he to buy in similar quantities, you 
would gladly quote him (an old customer) equally low prices. Under the 
present circumstances you cannot accede to his demand. Avoid giving 
offense. 



118 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Wednesday, June 3, 191-. — No. 1. 



H. A. Pelton 
65 Winter St. 

Middleboro, Mass., June 2, 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 
Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, — 

The debtor, Mr. C. K. Blank, has removed from the 
Commonwealth, but we feel that we can locate him and 
collect the claim through other parties. This will en- 
tail some expense; and if you will allow us fifty per 
cent, in the event of collection, we shall be pleased 
to take up the claim. The debtor is in poor financial 
circumstances and does not pay accounts until forced, 
but we will make every effort to effect a collection. 

Do you wish us to undertake collection on these 
terms? 



Very truly yours, 

&i. &. PeXtcwu 



This is a letter from a lawyer to whom you have written concerning col- 
lection of the account which Mr. Blank owes you. 

Your firm considers this a large percentage to pay for collection and has 
instructed you to prepare a 3-letter series for use in collecting overdue 
accounts. First write Mr. Pelton, asking him to defer action in this matter 
until he hears from you; then write the collection letters. 



THE MORNING MAIL 

Wednesday, June 3, 191-. — No. 2. 



119 



€t)e Boyal gjngurance Company 

120 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 

June 1, 191-. 



The 



-Yearly Premium on Policy 



No -JUL Q~y^ .^11 be due .-&._Mo-//--l 9-^-3 
.Premium . $ //.s) .. # .«....&. 

Less Reduction - - ~- 



Addition OfTered 
* - 



Amount Due jL_ 



PLEASE RETURN THIS NOTICE WITH THE PREMIUM TO 



GENERAL AGENT 




PLEASE ADVISE ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS 



Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 



Send a check for this amount. Tell the Company that you want to con- 
sider an increase in fire protection beginning July 1st, as you are opening 
a new department on that date; and that you wish to see a representative 
of the Company before that date. 



120 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Wednesday, June 3, 191-. — No. 3. 



251 Front St. , 

Worcester, Mass., June 2, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St. , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

Please send me by parcel post, C. 0. D. : 

2 doz. pairs ladies' dark tan, kid, 3-clasp gloves 
in sizes from 5 to 8 1/2. 

Please send these on Friday morning so that we 
may have them for the Saturday trade. 



Yours truly, 

C. A. Brown & Co. 



Thank them for the order and assure them that the gloves will be mailed 
on or before Friday morning, as they request. You might add a little sales 
talk about some related line of goods. Almost every letter offers an op- 
portunity for salesmanship in some form. 



THE MORNING MAIL 



121 



Wednesday, June 3, 191-. — No. 4. 







STATEMENT 








FrJIo 93 






Messrs. St 


June 1 
one & Co. , 


I9i- 




85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 




,N ACC %Z H. F. ADAMS & CO. 

246 MAIN STREET, CHICAGO, ILL. 


May 


1 


Balance rendered 


647 


50 








10 


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To Mdse. 


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216 


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Send a check in full. 



122 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Wednesday, June 3, 191- — No. 5. 



ftent TStotym 

fjianod, JJiano paper* &tvm$ 3fastntment6 

100 Tremont St. , 

Boston, Mass., June 3, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St. , 
City. 

Gentlemen: — 

Miss Millie Longwell has applied to us 
for a position as stenographer and has re- 
ferred us to you. 

Is she neat and accurate in her work, 
as well as careful and trustworthy in the 
use of time during office hours? 

Yours truly, 

KENT BROS, 
■ Per JC. 
L/BP 



\ 
Miss Longwell was Mr. Stone's secretary for a number of years and 
gave entire satisfaction. Mr. Stone speaks highly of her work and in- 
structs you to say to Kent Bros., for him, that he can heartily recommend 
Miss Longwell on the points mentioned in their letter. 



THE MORNING MAIL 123 

Wednesday, June 3, 191-. — No. 6. 






Avon, Mass., June 2, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co . , 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

I am planning to spend a part of my 
vacation in Detroit and should like to 
have, if convenient, a letter of intro- 
duction to Mr. J. A. Sedgwick, with whom 
one member of the firm is acquainted, I 
believe. 

Yours truly, 



Mr. Mason is credit man for your firm. Write this letter of introduction 
for Mr. Stone, who has a personal acquaintance with Mr. Sedgwick. 



124 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Thursday, June 4, 191- — No. 1. 



Baltimore, Md., 04<^n^ J, i9iA, No. flf. 

OTTOMAN NATIONAL BANK 

Pay to ^dfirns, <f (Irrri/isi/rw -~ or Order $ 56 1 ■$£> 

^-^■^.— . ~^*— Dollars 



Messrs. Stone & Company, 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

The enclosed check for $50.50 is in 
settlement of our account, as shown by 
your June first statement. 

Yours truly, 

C. E. Waters & Co. 

e.ja. 

Enclosure 1 
ED/MS 



Acknowledge this. 



THE MORNING MAIL 125 

Thursday, June 4, 191-. — No. 2. 



365 Common St. , 

Concord, N. H. , June 2, 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

Please send me by freight on 60 days 
time : 

25 Belmont Magee ranges No. 88 with 
hot water coils. 



Yours truly. 



This is an old customer whose account is badly overdue. You have al- 
ready written him concerning it, but he has not answered. Hold this order 
and try to get a settlement of the old account. 



126 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Thursday, June 4, 19 1- — No. 3. 



85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass., June 4, 191- 



Gentlemen, 



Although my relations' with you have always 
been pleasant, yet for some months I have been 
thinking of looking for an opening in the West, 
where I feel there are better chances for a man 
to rise. 

I can remain in my present position until 
another man is found to take my place, but I 
should prefer to close up my work here June 
30th. 

Yours truly, 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , t 
Boston, Mass. 



Mr. Norwell is buyer for the Furniture Department and is a valuable 
man. Say that you should regret losing him and ask what inducement 
you could offer that would make him contented to remain in the employ 
of the firm. 



THE MORNING MAIL 127 

Thursday, June 4, 191-. — No. 4. 



WELDON WHEEL CO. 

Makers oj 

Children's Vehicles, Reed Furniture, Invalids 9 Chairs, Bicycles 

Cleveland, O 6/2/1- 

File 4-HR 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Dear Sirs: — 

Your letter of the 14th has been delayed because of 
the writer's absence on a business trip, and we must 
apologize for not acknowledging same sooner. 

This complaint in connection with the rubber tires 
used on our invalids' chairs is unusual, and something 
which we do not understand; and as these tires are made 
out of the best rubber, and are guaranteed absolutely, 
we would be interested to see these tires, and ask you 
to return them by freight for inspection; at the same 
time please advise to what expense you have been put on 
this account. 

Yours truly, 

WELDON WHEEL CO. 

<&. R. 

Die. HR 



Say that you are returning the tires. Your expense on this account is 
$2.60. 



128 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Thursday, June 4, 191- — No. 5. 



DURIiAND DESK COMPANY 

Grand Rapids, IVT iolai^an 

26-28 Main Street 



June 1, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 

85 Summer St., Boston. 

Gentlemen: — 

We call your attention to your account, $750, which is 
somewhat overdue. 

Will you very kindly give this matter youf prompt 
consideration? Should there be any question in regard to 
it, won't you advise us at once that we may adjust it to 
our mutual satisfaction? 



Thanking you for past business, we are 

Very truly yours. 



DURLAND DESK COMPANY. 
6. &0Al0. 



E.E. 
HPR 



The delay was due to an oversight. Send a check and express regret 
that it should have happened. 



■ 



THE MORNING MAIL 

Thursday, June 4, 191- — No. 6. 



129 



NEW YORK 



CHICAGO 



TORONTO 



THE KENYON BED CO. 

100 East 42 Street 
New York City 



June 2, 191- 
Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen : 

We are in receipt of your telegram requesting us to can- 
cel the order for the #630 divanette. We are very sorry 
that so many unfortunate circumstances arose in regard to 
this order. We recently found that the bill was mislaid in 
our office and not mailed until some time after shipment 
had been made. 

If your customer will not accept the bed at this date, 
we will, of course, be perfectly willing that you return 
it to us for credit. 

Yours truly, 

THE KENYON BED COMPANY, 



R.F./M.B. 
Mc. 



Treas. 



Answer this, saying that you are returning goods for credit. 



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THE MORNING MAIL 131 

Friday, June 5, 19 1-. — No. 2. 



125 Jackson St. , 

Columbus, Ohio, June 3, 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen: — 

The special list of country merchants, which 
you ordered a few days ago, is enclosed with a bill 
of $10 for the same. 

I have special lists of merchants in nearly all 
lines of business, and I trust that the results 
from this trial list will be so satisfactory that 
you will order other lists. 



Yours truly, 

A &. PaA,tcwv. 



P/MP 



Send a check for this bill, then prepare a 3-letter series of sales letters 
for the purpose of selling rain coats. 



132 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Friday, June 5, 191-. — No. 3. 

HENRY R. JAMES 

ATTORNEY AT LAW 
Chronicle Bldg., Boston 

June 4, 191-. 
Messrs. Stone & Co., 

85 Summer St. , 

Boston, Mass, 

Gentlemen: — 

We had a long conference with Albert Johnson yesterday 
in relation to his affairs. He has given up selling 
crackers on his own account and wishes to sell these goods 
on commission for another dealer. He says that he has used 
but four of the twelve cases making up this account; and as 
he now has no use for them, he is willing to return them to 
you. 

This young man has a large number of outstanding claims 
against him and no immediate possibility of paying anything 
on them; and if you get your goods back, you will fare much 
better than the other creditors. Johnson is quite ignorant 
and at a loss to know what he should do about his affairs; 
but, as he has no property, suit on a small claim would be 
of no advantage. Kindly instruct us what course to pursue. 

Very truly yours. 

Write to Mr. James that Mr. Johnson may return the eight cases of 
crackers, for which you will give him credit; but insist that Mr. James 
make an effort to collect the balance of the account, provided he can do so 
without bringing suit. If it cannot be collected without a suit, tell him to 
drop the matter, as the account is too small to carry into court. 



THE MORNING MAIL 
Friday, June 5, 191- — No. 4. 



133 



^ttuvity tift gjttgurattce Company 

©atafilta&ett 1860 



673 Lake St . , 

Buffalo, N. Y., June 3, 191-. 

Re Hillman Oldham. 

Messrs. Stone & Co. „ 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, — 

Mr. Hillman Oldham, one of your employees, was refused 
insurance in this company in 1910 because he was at that 
time employed in electrical work with a current up to 600 
volts. Will you please inform us whether his occupation 
at the present time has anything to do with electricity? 

Very truly yours,' 



rTlx^tuiXyM> Jl/o-omXci/vlcL, 



L./C. 



Medical Director. 



His present employment has nothing to do with electricity. Answer for 
Stone & Co. 



134 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Friday, June 5, 191-. — No. 5. 



206 Maple St. , 

Bridgewater, Mass., May 31 , 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

Please send me by freight, on account, 60 d'ays: 

5 handbags No. 842. 

3 four-ft. steamer trunks, dark, 
double lock, iron bound corners. 

I am confident that I can do a good business in 
this line of goods. 



Yours truly. 



This is a new customer asking for credit. He gives no references, nor does 
he refer to any of the commercial agencies concerning his rating. 

After looking up his financial standing in Bradstreet's, you find that 
he has a low rating; it is, therefore, unwise to give him credit. Hold the 
order and make an effort to get him to send a check, upon receipt of which 
you will send the goods. This calls for skill in letter writing. 



THE MORNING MAIL 

Friday, June 5, 191- — No. 6. 



135 



125 Maplewood Ave., 

Newton, N. H., June 1, 191- 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 
85 Summer St . , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

Please allow me two weeks more time on my 
account. 

Yours truly. 



3". S. Qaxv&aa 



This account is due to-day. You will notice that no reason for nonpay- 
ment is given, nor is there a basis for a new promise, which he should have 
made. 

He is known to be a "spender"; he buys freely, and should be held as 
a customer without allowing his account to become overdue. You might 
suggest some plan of definite payments at specified times. Answer this as 
you think best, but don't offend him. 



136 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Saturday, June 6, 19 1-. — No. 1. 



RHODES COMMERCIAL SCHOOL 

BUTLER EXCHANGE 

BOSTON, MASS. 

Mason Rhodes, Principal 



June the fourth, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Company, 
85 Summer St . , • 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen :- 

You will, doubtless, be needing substitute office help 
during July and August to replace your regular force while 
on their vacation. 

From among those just graduating from our business and 
shorthand departments we can certainly send you just what 
you want for this kind of work. 

When in need of either substitute or permanent office 
help, just call our Employment Department, stating the 
necessary qualifications, and we will send you some one who 
is sure to give satisfaction. 

Yours truly, 

Rhodes Commercial School 
Per R,. 
R/F.F. 



Answer for Mr. Stone, saying that he will need a young man stenographer 
June 15th. State the qualifications desired. 















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138 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Saturday, June 6, 191- — No. 3. 



HENRY R. JAMES 

Attorney at law 

Chronicle Bldg., Boston 

ma -„ c+ o r. June 5, 191-. 

Messrs. Stone & Co., 

85 Summer St. , 

City. 

Dear Sirs, 

Dr. Jones of Arlington has placed in our hands his claim 
for damages to his automobile from being run into by a pair 
of horses driven by Geo. McCarthy, one of your employees, on 
May 15th last, while on Washington Street in Boston. 

As you are conducting the business in which Mr. McCarthy 
was engaged, it would consequently appear that the liability, 
if any, must attach to you. From a careful examination of 
the accident, it appears to have been caused by McCarthy's 
negligence in not caring for and attending to his horses. 
The actual expense that Dr. Jones has been caused is $58.45, 
paid for repairs. If settlement is made at an early date. 
Dr. Jones will be content with the payment of his actual 
damages. Please let me hear from you at your earliest 
convenience. 

Very truly yours, 



M^urJiA^ R/, (jla/vvu^. 






As the employer is responsible for the acts of his employees, while con- 
sistently engaged in the work assigned, Stone & Co. are ready to pay this 
without question. Send check to the attorney, Henry R. James. 



THE MORNING MAIL 139 

Saturday, June 6, 191-. — .No. 4. 



Fitchburg, Mass., June 2, 191_. 

Messrs. Stone & Company, 
85 Summer St. , 

Boston, Mass. 

Gentlemen, 

In the shipment received from you last week was a case 
of catsup which was quite badly damaged; five bottles were 
broken, and the contents came in contact with some of the 
other packages, doing more or less damage to them. 

I have taken the matter up with the Railroad Company, 
and can get no satisfaction from them. I find that the 
packing was not of sufficient strength to prevent breakage. 
I, therefore, feel that your packing department is respon- 
sible. 

Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain. 

Yours truly, 

MY/GS 



This is one of the cases where it is difficult to place responsibility. The 
fault may be in your shipping department, or it may be elsewhere. Tell 
him that you desire to be fair, and that, if he will state the exact amount 
of the damage, you will allow him whatever is reasonable. 



140 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

Saturday, June 6, 191- — No. 5. 



•* 



Dl 



\.4» ocean-carrying ma~ s 
(jJ^sjK^In one yr we paid to foitf^gn companies 

$169,000,000 for freight/age. and $45,000,000 '3 L 

/"*\ for/raresJ^Ss passenger;*) and^insurance. In the 2 

v e > y same yr the country sent to foreign lands <J v * 

over $600,000,000j^more of goods than_it -pe^d ^ j 



from /v thoga count rioo; and 
balance of trade in our favor 



some^call this^the 



•J 



N Y. hao moot of v ^ 
the regular steamship lines between Eur and the\ 
U S« It .receives^ a larger proportion of -the im- 
ports. a»4-jisth€r^>utlet for over one^third of) 
f our domjjfestic exports^/ Bread-stuffs, provi- 
sions, cotton, and petroleum f ormfpnefhaif ^about^ J 

1(4 'fc, <4~ 

of -tfre- exports. A /he city has about 353 mi^water 
front, Cof which)%+rt halfvjnay be hoo^ for ship- 
ping, ?he piers of Jersey City and Hoboken, in 

JL— v ^.**— i 

N .J,(practically )arep a part of A -N— ¥ port, /ts 

^ninety mi of pier^may be ve*y largely extended./^ 

The foreign movement of the port, whi e h 

^— - 



larg e* is more than three times the tonnage 

^it s nearest competitor, whioh t o the a ity » f 

(Boston} About fifty steamers in the foreign 



J 



extended./ ^ j . 
is y « y /^!| Ji 
lage of\ ? 



tradefevery week \leave the pory ^* ^Half^sail 
under the British and a loco numb e r under the 
American flag. 




Copy this rough draft, making the alterations indicated. 



THE MORNING MAIL 141 

Saturday, June 6, 191- — No. 6. 



WANTED a person with some experience to take 
charge of the correspondence in office of depart- 
ment store. Must come well recommended, refer- 
ences. State salary expected. 

Address E-156. Transcript Office. 



Apply for this position. 






142 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

ADDITIONAL EXERCISES IN LETTER WRITING 

1. Your employer, a local dealer, has an over-supply of fresh butter 
on hand. He has instructed you to write to Messrs. Heinsheimer & Co., 
99 Commercial St., Cleveland, Ohio, commission merchants, asking about 
their market and whether they can dispose of a consignment of butter for 
him. 

2. Write an answer to the above. 

3. Write a form letter for Heinsheimer & Co. The purpose of the letter 
is to call attention to their excellent facilities for disposing of food stuffs 
and to solicit shipments. Their terms are 10 % on sales. 

4. Mr. Charles Summers, agent for the Ralston Drug Co., has written 
you, saying they wish to start a branch store in your city and asking your 
assistance in finding a suitable location. You, who are a real estate agent, 
have a store to let. Write him about it, giving such information and de- 
scription as he will wish to know. 

5. Write to Thompson & Co., Bridgewater, Mass., real estate agents, 
asking if they have a building suitable for manufacturing purposes. State 
the kind of factory desired and give an idea of the size required. 

6. You wish to rent a house for the summer. Write to the above firm 
about it. 

7. As corresponding clerk of the law firm of Baker & Wells, which makes 
a specialty of collections, write a form letter soliciting accounts for collec- 
tion. 

8. Montgomery, Ward, & Co., Chicago, are to have a special sale of 
silks next week. Write an announcement to be sent to out-of-town cus- 
tomers. 

"9. Mr. H. M. Page, the senior member of the firm of which you are a 
member, has retired from business. This, according to law, dissolves the 
partnership, and you must publish notices to that effect in the papers. 
Write a suitable notice stating, among other things, that all debts owed 
by the old firm will be paid by the reorganized firm and that all debts 
due the old firm will be collected by the new. 

10. Write a form letter to be sent to out-of-town customers, concerning 
the change in partnership mentioned in Ex. 9. Solicit a continuation of 
business. 



ADDITIONAL EXERCISES IN LETTER WRITING 143 

11. Some days ago you shipped an order of goods to French Brothers, 
Gary, Ind.; but they have not received them. Write the Adams Express 
Company, by whom you shipped the goods, asking them to trace them. 
Give the necessary data. 

12. Write French Brothers, saying that you regret the delay, telling them 
what you have done. Request them to wire you if they do not receive the 
goods within 48 hours. 

13. As stenographer for a law firm, write to one of your clients, telling 
him that his case will be heard two weeks from to-day, at 10 o'clock, in the 
Circuit Court, and requesting him to be on time. 

14. In the capacity of a teacher, write to some prominent person in your 
city, asking him to donate a suitable picture for schoolroom decoration. 

15. Send to the Wilson Manufacturing Co., Dayton, Ohio, for a cata- 
logue of office supplies. 

16. You are about to accept a responsible position; write to the Surety 
Bond and Reference Association, Buffalo, N.Y., making an application 
for security. Tell them about your experience and give four or five refer- 
ences. 

17. Your customer has settled his account, $269.75, in full. Acknowledge 
receipt of this payment. 

18. You ordered 100 Student fountain pens; but the company sent you 
90 Student and 10 Foster pens, making no explanation. Write them about 
it. 

19. Your customer writes that you have overcharged him on a bill of 
cutlery. He accuses you of an attempt to cheat and declares that he will 
have nothing more to do with your house. The matter is due to a mistake 
on the part of your bookkeeper. Write this customer. 

20. A customer has just sent you an order for lamps, amounting to $1200. 
Acknowledge receipt of this order. 

21. One of your customers who owes you $250, for which you sent him 
a statement, sends you but half the amount, with no explanation. The 
amount is already long past due. Write to him concerning the matter. 

22. Write a refusal to a request for extension of time. 

23. You have $5000 which you wish to invest in real estate of some kind, 
preferably a dwelling house. Write to the cashier of the Farmer's Bank, 
Omaha, Nebr., asking whether he considers such an investment in his city 
a good one. 



144 THE BUSINESS LETTER 

24. Write a letter of introduction for your credit man, who has been in 
your employ for ten years, but who now wishes to locate in Seattle, Wash- 
ington. 

25. Write a letter of recommendation for your stenographer, who is to 
go with her parents to Philadelphia. 

26. Write to your uncle, for his advice concerning a proposed European 
trip, telling him what countries you wish to visit. Ask definite questions. 

27. Write to Thos. Cook & Sons, 492 Washington St., Boston, Mass., 
about your proposed European trip. State the cities you wish to visit, 
how long you wish to be gone, and give preference, if any, as to steamship 
lines. Ask steamship rates and probable living and traveling expenses in 
Europe. 

28. Write a form letter calling a meeting of the grocers of your city, to 
discuss the question of a half -holiday for employees. 

29. Write the Passenger Department of the N.Y.C.R.R., Grand Central 
Station, New York, asking for reduced rates for a manufacturers' con- 
vention to be held in Chicago next March. Give such particulars as the 
length of the convention, the probable number who will attend, the return 
route, stopovers, etc. 

30. Write to the Board of Trade in your city, requesting that it use its 
influence with the city Council, urging the improvement of the streets in 
the wholesale district. Give sufficient particulars for a working basis. 

31. Write to the Bemis Typewriter Co., New York, soliciting an agency 
for that typewriter. State your facilities for and your experience in this 
kind of work. 

32. Write a sales-letter series for the sale of a dust-proof safety inkwell. 

33. Outline by letter a route in Ohio for your traveling salesman. 

34. Stop payment of a certain check which you issued yesterday. (We as- 
sume that you are out of town, thus necessitating telegraphing your bank.) 

35. Engage passage to Bremen by one of the North German Lloyd 
steamers. 

36. Write to Chicago University, asking for a scholarship for next year. 
Make the facts fit your own case. 

37. You have drawn a sight draft on Fuller & Co., Denver, Col., for 
$357.98, the balance of their account. Write to them about the matter. 



ADDITIONAL EXERCISES IN LETTER WRITING 145 

38. Write to the mayor of your city, urging better street lighting on West 
Elm St., where several accidents have occurred recently which might have 
been avoided had there been sufficient light. 

39. Write to the Superintendent of Schools, calling his attention to the 
overcrowded condition of the first and second grade schools of your city. 

40. Write to the Superintendent of the Street Railway Company of your 
city, asking for better service during rush hours. Describe the present con- 
dition and ask him to do what he can to better the service in this particular. 

41. Ask your employer for a two-weeks vacation. 

42. Prepare a public letter for your newspaper, urging the need of a li- 
brary in the High School. 

43. Solicit funds for a hospital which is soon to be started in your city. 

44. Announce a special sale of gloves. This is a form letter to be sent to 
out-of-town customers. 

45. Write a three-letter series for making collections. 

46. Write a letter of introduction for one of your sales people in the 
Jewelry Department. 

47. Write a letter of recommendation for Edward Jackson, whom you 
have known for six years and who is just graduating from the Commercial 
course of the High School. 

48. Telegraph to First National Bank, Toledo, Ohio, stopping payment 
on a check for $95, which you have given to Raymond Wells. 

Answer each of the following advertisements : — 

49. STENOGRAPHER — YOUNG MAN, RAPID AND 
accurate; touch operator; Underwood machine; fine 
opportunity for advancement; salary $15 per wk. 
to start; in reply state age, experience, and refer- 
ences. Address D P 230. Tribune. 

50. STENOGRAPHER — STATE EXPERIENCE, 
salary wanted, speed; South Side concern. This 
position will be more than just taking dictation and 
transcribing for the one that makes good. Address 
F P 290, Tribune. 

51. BOOKKEEPING AND GENERAL OFFICE WORK 
— Neat young woman; wages beginning at $10 per 
week. State experience, if any. Address E 291, 
Tribune. 

52. BOOKKEEPER — WITH SOME KNOWLEDGE OF 
typewriting, salary $12 per week. Apply at once. 
Room 1602, 105 S La, Salle St. 

53. Write to your teacher, asking if you may use his name as reference 
in applying for a position. 



PART FIVE 

THE FILING OF LETTERS AND PAPERS 

J_HE diagram on the opposite page shows the number and 
nature of the letters necessary in doing so simple a thing as 
making a sale by correspondence. This routine is repeated 
many times daily in houses doing business by mail. Any 
letter among the thousands that thus accumulate may be 
needed at any time. It is therefore necessary that each letter 
received, and a copy of its answer, be so filed that it can be 
found instantly. 

_T ORMERLY, copies of all out-going letters were made 
with the letter press in a "letter-book." This custom had the 
disadvantage of not keeping together the letter and its 
answer. Most houses now make a carbon copy of each out- 
going letter and attach this copy to the letter to which it is 
the answer. The incoming letter and its answer are then 
filed away together. 

The most important methods of filing are : — 

(1) By name. 

(2) By locality (geographically). 

(3) By subject. 

Methods may differ in detail, but they are all modifica- 
tions or combinations of these three. 

X HE simplest method of filing by name (name of the writer 
of the in-coming letter) uses the flat file. 

This is usually a box about 11 inches by 14 inches in size 
with 26 leaves — one for each letter in the alphabet. The 
letter with its answer is filed under the initial letter of the 



THE HOUSE 


THE CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



SPECIAL 



ANNOUNCEMENT 
REQUEST FOR 



CATALOGUE 
LETTER SENT 



WITH CATALOGUE 
REQUEST FOR 



TERMS *"•» PRICES 
QUOTATIONS 



SENT 
ORDER 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 



OF ORDER 



TO THE 
HOUSE 



TO THE 
HOUSE 



TO THE 
HOUSE 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



LETTER WITH 



BILL OF LADING 
COMPLAINT 



ADJUSTMENT OF 



COMPLAINT 



TO THE 
HOUSE 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



TO THE 
CUSTOMER 



BILL SENT 



BILL PAID 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 



OF PAYMENT 



TO THE 
HOUSE 



CORRESPONDENCE NECESSARY IN A SALE BY LETTER 



148 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



correspondent's surname. (See illustration below.) For ex- 
ample, a letter from A. C. Brown would be filed under the 




THE FLAT FILE 



letter B, and a letter from Anderson, Brown & Company 
would be placed under A in the file. 

In using the Shannon system, the letter or paper is punched 




THE SHANNON FILE 



so that it may be slipped on the posts and thus held in posi- 
tion, as shown in the illustration. Suppose a letter from the 



THE FILING OF LETTERS AND PAPERS 



149 



Empire Shoe Company is to be filed; all the papers and the 
guides down to the letter E are turned back, leaving the E on 
top. The clasps are removed from the posts, the letter is 
placed in position, and the papers and guides are returned 
to their original positions. 

THE vertical file, in which the papers and letters are kept 

on edge instead of flat, is now being widely used and is 

gradually displacing all other 

filing devices. It is known 

also as the "Large Drawer" 

system, from the fact that 

the large drawer of the 

desk was first used for this 

method of filing. 

A folder (see illustration 
below) about the size of a 
sheet of letter paper is pro- 
vided for each correspond- 
ent, into which is put all the 
correspondence with him. All letters and answers, the out- 
going letter being always represented by a carbon copy, are 
thus kept to- 
gether and are 
in shape for 
ready reference. 




LARGE DRAWER FOR FILING 




FOLDERS 



SECTION OF A FILE 



In this way the correspondence with one correspondent is 
kept separate from that with any other. 



150 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



This folder, containing the correspondence, is filed behind 
its proper letter in the guides, as is the case with the flat files. 
For example, the folder containing the correspondence with 
The Jordan Marsh Company would be filed behind the guide 
card "J" in the deep drawer or the filing cabinet. 




SUBDIVIDED GUIDE CARDS 



The alphabetical guide cards may be subdivided to facili- 
tate easy reference. (See illustration.) 

Should the correspondence with any firm be unusually 
large, the contents of the folder may be subdivided by months, 
by the insertion of monthly guide cards into the folder. 

As the bulk of the correspondence increases, additional 
files or cabinets may be added, thus providing for almost 
unlimited expansion. When the files are filled, the contents 
are transferred to the permanent files, where they are kept 
for from two to five years before being destroyed. 

jLHE numerical system of filing, in which each correspond- 
ent is assigned a number, is sometimes used, especially 
where the bulk of the correspondence is large. The folders 
are numbered and filed numerically. This necessitates an 
alphabetical card index, each correspondent having a card 
bearing his name and address as well as his file number. When 
a letter is needed, reference must be made to the alphabetical 



THE FILING OF LETTERS AND PAPERS 



151 



file to find the number of the folder, which can then be found 
in the numerical file. For example, we wish to refer to a letter 
from Howe & Johnson. We turn to H in the card index 
(alphabetically arranged) and find Howe & Johnson's card 
and see that their file number is, say, 3008. We then turn to 
3008 in the numerical file and instantly find the folder con- 
taining the desired letter. 

The numerical file is the same as the alphabetical file except 
that the guide cards are numbered instead of lettered. 



Jb ILING by location necessitates guide cards with the 
names of the states (or foreign countries) printed upon them. 




FILING BY LOCATION 



With these there must be guides bearing the names of the 
cities in which your correspondents live. These are placed 
alphabetically under the states in which they belong. When 
there are a number of correspondents from the same city, 
their folders are arranged alphabetically under that city. This 
gives an alphabetical arrangement for the states and the 
cities in each of the states, as well as for the correspondents. 



152 



THE BUSINESS LETTER 



For example, to find a letter from Frazier Brothers, St. Louis, 
Mo., we turn to the section marked "Missouri," then to its 
subdivision marked "S," under which "St. Louis" will be 
found; then under "F"in the "St. Louis" division we will 
find the Frazier Brothers correspondence. 

Jc ILING by subject is used when the subject treated is 
of more importance than the name of the writer. The prin- 
cipal guide cards are marked according to the subjects about 




BUT ONE SECTION OF THE 
FILE 



IT CAN BE EXPANDED TO ANY 
SIZE 



which the information is to be kept. Letters and circulars 
bearing upon a given subject are filed together, regardless of 
the names of the senders. With this must be used an alpha- 
betical card index of the correspondents, to indicate the lo- 
cation of each letter. 



APPENDIX 



GLOSSARY OF BUSINESS TERMS AND EXPRESSIONS 

Note. — This list does not include the very common terms generally understood, 
nor terms so uncommon as to be accounted strictly " technical." 



Abstract. An abridgment or synopsis. 

Abstract of title. A summary of the 
evidences of ownership. 

Acceptance. A draft, the payment of 
which has been promised by the one 
on whom it is drawn. This is indi- 
cated by the word "Accepted" or 
"Good" and the signature of the 
drawee, written on the face of the 
draft. 

Accommodation paper. A loan of credit 
by the exchange of notes; a note 
given to accommodate or to facilitate 
credit. 

Account current. An open or running 
account; a detailed statement of the 
items composing it. 

Account sales. An itemized statement 
of sales and expenses, rendered by a 
commission merchant. 

Accrued. Accumulated, as interest. 

Acknowledgment. A declaration made 
before a notary public or other quali- 
fied officer; also, the officer's certificate 
attesting such declaration. 

Administrator. A man who cares for 
and settles the estate of one who 
died without having made a will. 

Administratrix. Feminine of adminis- 
trator. 

Adverse possession. The holding of 
property by some one other than the 
lawful owner. 

Affidavit. A written statement made 
under oath. 



Against documents. See Draw 

AGAINST DOCUMENTS. 

Agent. One who acts for another by 

authority from him. 
A I. Of first grade or quality. 
Assignee. One to whom property is 

transferred for the benefit of the 

creditors. 
Assignment. The transfer of property 

to the assignee for the benefit of the 

creditors. 
At sight. Payable when presented or 

seen (usually referring to the time 

of payment of drafts). 
Attachment. A seizure of property by 

legal process. 
Attorney. One (not necessarily a law- 
yer) authorized to act for, or in place 

of, another. 
Audit. The examination of the ac- 
counts of a business by an accountant 

or auditor. 
Auditor. One appointed to examine 

accounts. 

Bankrupt. Unable to pay, or legally 
discharged from paying. 

Bear. One who anticipates, or works 
for, lower prices; applied to mem- 
bers of the stock exchange. 

Bed-rock price. Lowest possible price. 

Bill of lading. The receipt of a trans- 
portation company, containing a 
list of the goods, and conditions of 
shipment. 



154 



APPENDIX 



Bill of sale. A writing given by the 
seller of personal property to the 
buyer. 

Blanket insurance. A form of life or 
accident insurance insuring a group 
of men. 

Bona fide. In good faith. 

Bonanza. Exceptionally profitable 
(from the name of an unusually pro- 
fitable gold mine). 

Bond. A written obligation under 
seal; a written promise of a govern- 
ment or corporation, given as se- 
curity for money borrowed. 

Bonus. Something given in addition 
to what is strictly due. 

Book accounts. Accounts that are re- 
corded in the books of a concern, 
and secured by an oral promise, 
merely. 

Booked. Entered in the books; usu- 
ally applied to orders. 

Bottom prices. Lowest prices. 

Bradstreet. A publisher (in New 
York City) of mercantile agency re- 
ports. See Commercial agencies. 

Broker. An agent between buyer and 
seller; a dealer on the stock ex- 
change. 

Bucket shop. An office run by an irre- 
sponsible broker. 

Bull. One who anticipates, or works 
for, higher prices; applied to members 
of the stock exchange. 

Buyer's option. A privilege relieving 
a buyer from receiving an article 
until a specified time, but granting 
him the privilege of demanding it 
within the time specified in the 
contract or on one day's notice. 

Call. A privilege, which one party 
buys of another, to receive certain 
stock, grain, etc., at a specified date. 

Capital. The money and other prop- 
erty invested in a business. 



Cash. See Terms cash. 

Cashier. One having charge of money. 

Cashier's check. A check or bank 
draft drawn by a cashier of a bank 
on another bank. 

Certified check. A check that has been 
vouched for by the bank upon which 
it is drawn, thus making the bank 
security for its payment. 

Chattel. Property (usually applied to 
movable property). 

Chattel mortgage. A mortgage on 
movable property. 

Cheap money. Money obtainable at 
a low rate of interest. 

Claim. The right to claim or demand 
something; a claim enforcible at law. 

Clearing House. An institution where 
daily settlements are made between 
banks, by offset or exchange of 
checks, drafts, etc., the difference be- 
tween such exchanges being paid in 
cash. 

Client. One who submits his claim to 
the management of a legal adviser. 

Collateral. A security, not a part of, 
but related to, the main matter or 
contract. 

Commercial agencies. Agencies that 
collect and summarize data concern- 
ing the character, ability, and finan- 
cial standing of a business man or 
organization, and furnish the results 
to the subscribers of their publica- 
tions. 

Commercial paper. Notes, drafts, etc.; 
paper that contains an order or 
promise to pay. 

Common carrier. A person or com- 
pany whose business it is to trans- 
port passengers or merchandise. 

Common stock. Stock that entitles 
the owner to a dividend after the 
dividends on the preferred stock 
have been paid. 

Consigned. Shipped to consignee. 



APPENDIX 



155 



Consignee. The one to whom goods 
are shipped. 

Consignor. The shipper. 

Conveyance. An instrument in writ- 
ing by which the title of property 
is conveyed from one person to an- 
other. 

Corner. The control of all, or a ma- 
jority, of a given commodity. 

Coupon. A certificate of interest at- 
tached to a bond, and entitling the 
holder to the interest due. 

Covering the account. Payment of the 
account in full. 

Credit man. The man who has charge 
of the granting of credit to new cus- 
tomers and the supervision of 
credits generally. 

Credit memorandum. A notice of an 
allowance, or rebate, sent to the 
purchaser. 

Cumulative. Increasing by successive 
additions. 

Deadhead. Without charge for trans- 
portation. 

Deed. An instrument conveying the 
ownership of real estate. 

Defence. The defendant's answer or 
plea; the method of proceeding 
adopted by the defendant to protect 
him against the plaintiff's action. 

Defendant. The one against whom 
suit is brought. 

Dishonor. The refusal to accept or 
pay a draft or other commercial 
paper, by the person on whom it is 
drawn. 

Dispatch. A telegraphic message. 

Dispatch. To send by common carrier. 

Dissolution. The disbanding or dis- 
solving of a partnership or corpora- 
tion. 

Dividend. Profits divided among stock- 
holders in proportion to the shares 
held. 



Draw. To draw a draft. 

Draw against documents. In shipping 
goods to a stranger before receiving 
payment, a draft is drawn on him 
and sent with bill of lading to a bank 
(usually) in the drawee's city; upon 
payment of draft the bill of lading 
(without which he cannot get posses- 
sion of the goods) is delivered to the 
purchaser. 

Draw against one's account. To draw 
a draft for part of, or all, money due 
from the debtor. 

Draw at sight. To draw a sight draft. 

Draw on you. Used in notifying a debtor 
that you will draw, or have drawn, a 
draft on him. 

Drawee. The one on whom the draft 
is drawn. 

Drawer. The one who draws the draft. 

Drayage. Charges for hauling goods. 

Dun's or Dun's report. The rating 
reports published by Dun's mer- 
cantile agency. See Commercial 

AGENCIES. 

Elevator (in agricultural districts). 
A building for the storage of grain. 

Enclosure (also Inclosure). Anything 
enclosed in the envelope with the 
letter; e.g., bill, check, price list, etc. 

Encumber. To load with debts or 
other legal claims; as, to encumber an 
estate with mortgages. 

Endorse (also Indorse). To w T rite one's 
name on the back of a negotiable 
paper, for the purpose of transfer- 
ring it. 

Error letter. A letter calling attention 
to an error. 

Even date. Present date. Used in 
speaking of a letter received on the 
same date on which it was written; 
as, "Your letter of even date." 

Execution. The carrying out of a judg- 
ment or order of the court. 



156 



APPENDIX 



Extension. An allowance of further 
time on a bill or a contract. 

Falling market. Prices on the decline. 

Favor. Letter (not in good usage). 

Flat rate. A fixed rate; i.e., without 
discounts or rebates. 

Flurry. A small panic. 

Folio. Page. 

Follow-up. In correspondence, refer- 
ring to a series of related letters sent 
to prospective customers, together 
with a record of letters sent and 
their results. 

Foreclosure. The proceeding neces- 
sary to sell mortgaged property to 
satisfy a mortgagee's claim. 

Forgery. The writing of another's 
name as a signature, or the alter- 
ing of a document with fraudulent 
intent. 

Fours (or 4 s) Designation of a bond 
at 4% interest; see U.S. 4's. 

Franchise. A right or privilege granted 
by a city or state to an individual 
or a corporation. 

Gilt-edge (or -edged). Exception- 
ally good; frequently used in refer- 
ence to investments. 

Going business. A business in normal 
condition; not insolvent. 

Good will. The value, in business, of 
established reputation. 

Gross total. Gross weight; i.e., includ- 
ing the box, or crate, and contents. 

Guaranty. An agreement by which 
one person promises to answer for 
the debt or default of another. 

Honor. To accept a draft, or to pay 
it when due. 

Indorse. See Endorse. 
In-freight. Incoming goods, or money 
paid for the transportation of same. 



Innocent purchaser. The endorser of 
negotiable paper who receives it for 
value and without knowledge of 
possible previous defects of title. 

In stock. On hand. 

Invoice. A bill of goods bought. 

Jobber. One who buys from importers 
or manufacturers and sells to whole- 
salers or retailers. 

Judgment. A decree of court directing 
the payment of a given debt. 

Knockdown. The parts of a machine, 
piece of furniture, etc., which have 
been assembled, but not yet put 
together or set up; or, which have 
been taken apart for transportation. 
Or, the article constructed to be so 
taken apart. 

Lake and rail. Partly by lake steamer 
and partly by railroad. 

Lapsed policies. Policies canceled be- 
cause of failure of the insured to pay 
premium. 

Lease. A contract of rental. 

Legal tender. Lawful money; a proper 
offer of payment. 

Letter of credit. A letter issued by a 
bank and addressed to a banker, 
directing the payment of money to 
the holder of the letter; used by 
travelers. 

Lien. A legal claim. 

Limited partnership. A partnership 
in which one, or more, of the mem- 
bers has only a limited liabilty; i.e., 
is liable for the debts of the firm 
only to a certain amount, usually 
the amount of his investment. This 
limitation cannot, however, apply 
to all the partners. 

Liquidate. To determine by agreement 
or by litigation the exact amount 
due. To pay off an indebtedness. 



APPENDIX 



157 



List price. The price at which goods 
are listed or marked for sale. Varia- 
tions in price are indicated by dis- 
counts. 

Long. One who holds stock or grain 
for a rise in price. 

Manifest. A list of a ship's cargo, with 
all the necessary specifications, to 
be exhibited at the customhouse. 

Margin. Money deposited with a 
broker or a money lender to insure 
him against loss. 

Mature. To become due. 

Mercantile agencies. See Commercial 

AGENCIES. 

Mortgage. A conditional transfer of 
the title of real estate or personal 
property as security for debt. 

Motion (in law). An application to a 
court or judge, to obtain an order 
or ruling directing some act to be 
done in favor of the applicant. 

Negotiate. To transfer by endorse- 
ment; to treat with another; or to 
try to effect an agreement. 

Net. Without further deductions; clear 
of all deductions. 

Net cash. The amount actually paid 
or to be paid. 

Notary or Notary public. A public 
officer who takes acknowledgments. 
See Acknowledgment. 

On account. To be paid for later; (of 
debts) secured by oral promise only. 

On order. Ordered but not yet re- 
ceived. 

On 30 days. To be paid for in 30 days; 
e.g., "To sell on 30 days time." 

Open account. A running account; 
unsettled and active account. 

Operating expense. Charges or costs, 
incurred in the regular transaction 
of business. 



Outlawed. Beyond the privilege of 
legal enforcement or judgment; 
especially by having run beyond 
the time limit. 

Output. The total product of the plant. 

Outstanding accounts. Unpaid book 
accounts. 

Overdrawn. Drawn in excess of the 
amount on deposit. 

Overhead expenses, or Overhead 
charges. Expenses of a business 
which are general in their nature and 
not chargeable to any particular 
department; e.g., administrative ex- 
penses, lighting, heating, etc. 

Overs and shorts. More articles and 
fewer articles than are called for on 
the list. 

Paper. Notes, drafts, checks, etc. 

Par. Face value. 

Party. One entering, or having, con- 
tract relations. Improperly used for 
person. 

Pawnbroker. One whose business is to 
lend money on personal property 
which is left in his possession as 
security. 

Petty cash book. A book in which 
minor cash items are recorded. 

Plant. The machinery, apparatus, fix- 
tures, etc., used in carrying on a me- 
chanical or other industrial business, 
or a trade. A workshop or similar 
complete equipment. 

Point. When used in connection with 
stocks, it usually means one dollar 
per share, or 1%. 

Pool. A combination of buyers who 
invest their capital as one person; 
an agreement among business con- 
cerns to fix uniform prices. 

Power of attorney. The authority to 
act for another. 

Premium. Money paid for insurance. 

Prepaid. Paid before the due date. 



158 



APPENDIX 



Protest. A legal notice of refusal to 
pay money or accept a draft. 

Put. A privilege which one party buys 
of another to deliver ("put") to him 
a certain amount of stock, grain, etc., 
at a certain price and date. {Broker s 
Slang.) 

Put and call. The privilege of buying 
or selling as the holder (of a "put 
and call" contract) chooses, at fixed 
price and date. 

Quotations. The published prices of 
stocks or other commodities. 

Rate slip. A small list of rates or 
charges. 

Rebate. A reduction or return of a 
part of the price paid. 

Receiver. A person appointed by the 
court to take charge of, and close 
up, the affairs of a business. 

Release. The giving up of some right 
or claim. 

Repeated message. A telegraphic mes- 
sage sent back from office of delivery 
for verification. 

Replevin. An action (legal process) to 
recover possession of goods wrong- 
fully taken or detained. 

Reserve. Funds kept on hand to meet 
liabilities. 

Route. The railroads or steamship 
lines, or both, by which goods are 
shipped. 

Securities. Stocks or similar property 
given to secure a debt. 

Seller's option. A privilege allowing 
the seller of stock (sold at a certain 
price to be delivered on a certain fu- 
ture date) to deliver it, on one day's 
notice, at any previous time at the 
market price. 

Set-off. A cancellation of opposing 
debts. In case of the debtor and the 



creditor having claims against each 
other, the smaller debt cancels its 
equivalent in the larger one. 

Short. One who sells for future de- 
livery what he does not own, but 
hopes to buy at a lower price. 

Short-extend. To enter individual 
amounts in the explanation column 
to be totaled and entered in the 
money column. 

Sinking fund. A fund set aside for 
some specific purpose, as for the pay- 
ment of some obligation to mature 
in the future. 

Sixes (written 6's). See U.S. 4's. 

Sliding scale. A variable scale of 
wages or prices, up or down accord- 
ing to time, quantity, etc. 

Slow-pay. Usually behind in payments. 

Solvent. Able to pay in full. 

Spender. One who spends money 
freely without sufficient regard for 
his creditors. 

Spot cash. Cash with order or at time 
of delivery. 

Sundries. Many small or different 
items. 

Syndicate. A combination of capital- 
ists who unite their resources to 
further some financial project. 

Tare. The weight of the box, barrel, 
or packing. 

Tariff. A tax or duty levied on im- 
ports; a schedule of rates. 

Tender of payment. A valid offer of 
payment. 

Terms cash. Quoted at the cash price, 
though the cash is not paid until 
the goods are delivered. 

Tickler. A book or form arranged for 
record of commercial paper accord- 
ing to the due date; a reminder. 

Title. Right in, or ownership of, pro- 
perty. 

Trace. To send a tracer. 



APPENDIX 



159 



Tracer. A notice sent to the proper 
agents of a carrying company, di- 
recting that a search be made for 
goods lost in shipment. 

Trade. A group of customers con- 
sidered collectively. 

Trade discount. A series of discounts, 
as, 10, 10, and 5%, off the list price. 

Turnover. That part of the capital 
of a concern available for the pur- 
chase of goods or materials which 
are in turn convertible into cash. 

Underwriter. An insurance company. 
Upkeep. The act or expense of keeping 

up or maintaining. 
U.S. 4*s 1920. U.S. bonds bearing 4% 

interest and maturing in the year 

1920. 

Valid. Binding, or good, at law. 



Void. Not binding at law. 

Voucher. A book or paper that verifies 
the accuracy of accounts, receipts, 
checks, or other papers showing pay- 
ment. 

Warranty. Security; warrant; guar- 
anty. 

Watered stock. Stock increased in 
value without corresponding in- 
crease in the assets represented by 
it; i.e., stock raised to a fictitious 
value. 

Way bill. A description of goods 
shipped, containing also shipping 
directions. 

Way off. Much lower than usual; in 
little demand (applied to prices). 

Wired. Sent by telegraph. 

Working capital. The funds available 
for carrying on a business. 



BUSINESS ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS 



Note. — This list includes the abbreviations in common use. Those generally 
familiar have been omitted; e.g., bu., qt., etc. 



a (a). At. 

a / c . Account, or on account. 

Acct. Account. 

Acct. Cur. Account current. 

Acct. Sales. Account sales. 

Ad., Adv t. Advertisement. 

Admr. Administrator. 

Admx. Administratrix. 

Agt. Agent. 

Am't. Amount. 

Atty. Attorney. 

Av. Average. 

Bal. Balance. 

B.B. Bill Book. 

bbl. Barrel. 

B'd., B ds. Board, boards. 

bdl. Bundle. 

B'k. Bank. 

B/L. Bill of lading. 

Bldg. Building. 

B.O. Buyer's option. 

Bot. Bought. 

B. Pay. Bills payable. 

B. Rec. Bills receivable. 
Brot. Brought. 

bx. Box. 

C. One hundred. 

c. or c. Cent, cents. 

Cash. Cashier. 

C.B. Cash book. 

Chgd. Charged. 

C.I.F. Cost, insurance, and freight. 

C'k. Check. 

Cld. Cleared. 



Clk. Clerk. 

c /o . Care of. 

C.O.D. Cash (or collect) on delivery. 

Coll. Collection. 

Com. Commission, commerce. 

Cong. Congress. 

Cor. Coroner. 

C.P.A. Certified public accountant. 

Cr. Credit, creditor. 

cwt. Hundredweight. 

D. (usually d.) Pence. 
Deft. Defendant. 
Dft. Draft. 

Dis., Disct. Discount. 
Dist. District. 
do. The same, ditto. 
Dr. Debit, debtor. 
Ds. Days. 

Ea. Each. 

E.E. Errors excepted. 

e.g. For example. 

E. & O.E. Errors and omissions ex- 
cepted. 

E.O.D. Every other day. 

et al. (Latin, et alii.) And others. 

Ex. Example. 

Ex. Com. Executive Committee. 

Exch. Exchange. 

Exp. Expense. 

Far. (usually far.) Farthing. 
F.C.B. Folio Cash Book. 
Fig. figure, or figures. 
F.O.B. or f.o.b. Free on board. 



APPENDIX 



161 



Fol. Folio. 

For'd. Forward. 

Fr. (usually fr.) Franc. 

Fr't. Freight. 

F'w'd. Forward, or forwarded. 

G.F.A. General Freight Agent. 
G.P.A. General Passenger Agent, 
gro. gross. 

Hd. Head. 

Hlf. Half. 

H.P. or h.p. Horse power. 

LB. Invoice Book. 

Incog, (incognito). Unknown. 

Ins. Insurance. 

inst. This month. 

Int. Interest. 

Inv. Invoice. 

Inv't. Inventory. 

J.F. Journal folio. 

Jour, or J. Journal. 

J. P. Justice of the Peace. 

kg. Keg. 

L.B. Letter Book. 

L.C.L. Less than carload lot. 

Ledg. Ledger. 

L.F. Ledger folio. 

Ltd. Limited. 

M. One thousand. 

Meas. Measure. 

M.C. Member of Congress. 

Mdse. Merchandise. 

Mem. Memorandum. 

Mfg. Manufacturing. 

Mfr. Manufacturer. 

Mgr. Manager. 

Mme. Madam. 

M.P. Member of Parliament. 

MS. or Ms. Manuscript. 

MSS. or Mss. Manuscripts. 



N.B. Take notice. 

O.K. All right. 

P. or p. Page. 

Payt. Payment. 

pc. Piece. 

P.C.B. Petty Cash Book. 

pes. Pieces. 

Pd. Paid. 

Per an. (Latin per annum,) For a year, 

yearly, 
pkg. Package. 
Pltf. Plaintiff. 
Pp. or pp. Pages, 
pr. Pair. 
Prem. Premium. 
pro tern. (Latin pro tempore.) For the 

time, 
prox. (Latin proximo). Next month. 
P.S. Postscript. 

qr. Quire. 

Rec d. Received. 
Rec't. Receipt. 
Ret'd. Returned. 
R.R. Railroad. 
Ry. Railway. 

S.B. Sales Book. 

Schr. Schooner. 

Sec. Secretary. 

Shipt. Shipment. 

Sid. Sailed. 

S.O. Seller's option. 

Stor. Storage. 

Str. Steamer. 

Sunds. Sundries. 

Sup t. Superintendent. 

T. Ton. 

T.F. Till forbidden. 
Ton. Tonnage. 
Tp. Towmship. 
Tr. Transpose. 
Treas. Treasurer. 



162 



APPENDIX 



ult. (Latin, ultimo.) Last month. 

V. Five hundred. 

v. or vs. (Latin versus.) Against. 

viz. Namely. 

Vol. Volume. 

W/B. Way Bill. 
Wt. Weight. 



%. Percent. 

jf Used for " number " when written 
before a numeral and for " pounds " 
when written after a numeral. 

xt = li 

2 2 = 2f or %\. 

2 3 = 2|. 

' = Feet. 

= Inches. 
V = Check mark. 



POSTAL INFORMATION 



POSTAGE STAMPS 



Denominations. Postage stamps are issued by the Department in the follow- 
ing denominations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 50 cent, t l dollar, 10 cent 
special delivery and 10 cent registry. 

Books of Postage Stamps. One and 2 cent postage stamps bound in book 
form are on sale at post-offices at an advance of 1 cent per book over the post- 
age value, as follows: — 
Books of 

24 1-cent stamps 25 cents 

96 1-cent stamps 97 cents 

12 2-cent stamps 25 " 

24 2-cent stamps 49 " 

48 2-cent stamps 97 " 

Good for Postage. All postage stamps issued by the United States since 
1860 are good for postage. United States postage stamps are good for postage 
in Guam, Hawaii, Porto Rico, and Tutuila, but not in the Philippine Islands, 
or in the Panama Canal Zone. Postage stamps of the Philippine Islands or 
Canal Zone are not good for postage on matter mailed in the United States. 

Postage-due stamps are used by postmasters to witness the collection of 
postage on short-paid matter, and are not sold to the public. 

Not Redeemable or Exchangeable. Postage stamps are neither redeemable 
from the public nor exchangeable for those of other denominations or for any 
other stamped paper. 

Perforating of Stamps. For the purpose of identification only, and not for 
advertising, postage stamps may be punctured or perforated by letters, num- 
erals, or other marks or devices, but the punctures or perforations shall not 
exceed one thirty-second of an inch in diameter and the whole space occupied 
by the identification device shall not exceed one-half inch square. 

Overlapping Stamps. When postage or special delivery stamps are so affixed 
to mailable matter that one overlies another, concealing part of its surface, 
the stamp thus covered will not be taken into account in prepayment. 

Stamps Cut. Stamps which have been cut or otherwise severed from postal 
cards, embossed United States stamped envelopes, or newspaper wrappers, are 
not redeemable nor good for postage. 

Mutilated or Defaced Postage Stamps. Mutilated or defaced postage stamps 
are not good for postage. 

Not Good for Postage. Postage-due stamps, 10-cent special delivery and 
10-cent registry stamps, mutilated or defaced stamps cut from embossed United 
States stamped envelopes or newspaper wrappers, or from postal cards, are 
not good for postage. 

Currency. Postmasters are not required to receive more than 25 cents in 
copper or nickel coins in any one payment. Postmasters are expected to make 
change as far as possible, but must not give credit for postage. 



164 APPENDIX 

POSTAL CARDS 

Postal cards are furnished at the postage value represented by the stamp 
impressed thereon; single postal cards for domestic and foreign correspondence 
at 1 cent and 2 cents each respectively, and reply (double) postal cards at 2 
cents and 4 cents each respectively. 

Additions. Postal cards issued by the Post-office Department may bear 
written, printed, or other additions as follows : — 

Addresses upon postal cards may be either written or printed or affixed 
thereto, at the option of the sender. 

Advertisements, illustrations or writing may appear on the back of the card 
or upon the left third of the face. 

The face of the card may be divided by a vertical line placed approximately 
^ of the distance from the left end of the card; the space to the left of the line 
to be used for the message, but the space to the right for the address only. 

International Postage Cards. The United States international 2-cent single 
and reply postal cards should be used for correspondence with foreign coun- 
tries, except Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Republic of Panama, and the City of 
Shanghai, to which the domestic single and reply cards are mailable; but when 
these international cards can not be obtained it is allowable to use the United 
States domestic 1-cent single and reply postal cards with 1-cent United States 
adhesive postage stamps attached thereto. 

Not Returnable. Postal cards are treated in all respects as sealed letters, 
except that when undeliverable to the addressee they are not returned to the 
sender. 

Remailing. Used postal cards which conform to the conditions prescribed 
for postal cards, when remailed, are subject to a new prepayment of 1 cent 
postage. 

Reply Postal Cards. Either half of a reply domestic postal card may be used 
separately. Such postal cards should be folded before mailing, and the initial 
half should be detached when the reply half is mailed for return. 

POST CARDS (PRIVATE MAILING CARDS) 

Transmissible, When and Where. Post cards manufactured by private 
parties, conforming to the requirements of the Postal Laws and Regulations 
and bearing either written or printed messages, are transmissible without cover 
in the domestic mails (including the possessions of the United States), and to 
Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Republic of Panama and Shanghai, China, at the 
postage rate of 1 cent each, and in the foreign mails at the rate of 2 cents each, 
prepaid by stamps affixed. 

Advertisements and illustrations may appear on the back of the card and 
on the left half of the face. 

Under Cover, Rate. Cards mailed under cover of sealed envelopes (transpa- 
rent or otherwise) are chargeable with postage at the first-rate class; if enclosed 
in unsealed envelopes, they are subject to postage according to the character 
of the message — at the first-class rate if wholly or partly in writing, or the 
third-class rate if entirely in print; and the postage stamps should be affixed to 
the envelopes covering the same. Postage stamps affixed to matter enclosed 
in envelopes can not be recognized in payment of postage thereon. 



APPENDIX 165 

STAMPED ENVELOPES 

Denominations and Sizes. The Department issues twelve different sizes 
of stamped envelopes, the smallest 2-| by 5\ t the largest 4f by 10^ inches. 
The denominations are 1, 2, 4, and 5 cent. 

Stamped newspaper wrappers are issued in 1-cent and 2-cent denominations 
and in two sizes. 

Return Card. When stamped envelopes are purchased in lots of 500 or its 
multiple, of a single size, quality, and denomination, the Department will, upon 
request through the purchaser's post-office, print his return card. Such cards 
are not printed on newspaper wrappers or postal cards. 

Redemption. Uncanceled and spoiled stamped envelopes presented in a sub- 
stantially whole condition will be redeemed by postmasters at their face value 
only in postage stamps, stamped envelopes, or postal cards; but stamped enve- 
lopes bearing a printed return card will be redeemed only from the original pur- 
chaser. Stamped envelopes and newspaper wrappers which bear no printing 
indicating the original purchaser may be redeemed when presented by any 
responsible person. 

Avoid delay by depositing mail as soon as it is ready, thus insuring prompt 
dispatch. Much mail is deposited just at the close of the business day, and fre- 
quently such congestion follows that all of it can not be distributed in time to be 
given the first dispatch. 



WRAPPING OF MAIL MATTER 

Examination. Second, third and fourth class matter must be so wrapped 
or enveloped that the contents may be examined easily by postal officials. 
When not so wrapped, or when bearing or containing writing not authorized 
by law, the matter will be treated as of the first class. 

Harmful Articles. Articles of the fourth class not absolutely excluded from 
the mails, but which, from their form or nature, might, unless properly secured, 
destroy, deface, or otherwise damage the contents of the mail bag, or harm the 
person of any one engaged in the postal service, may be transmitted in the mails 
when packed in accordance with the postal regulations. 



UNMAILABLE MATTER 

Definition. Unmailable domestic matter — that is, matter which is not ad- 
missible to the United States mails for dispatch or delivery in the United States 
or in any of its possessions — includes: — 

Address Defective. All matter illegibly, incorrectly, or insufficiently ad- 
dressed. 

Postage not Prepaid. All transient second-class matter and all matter of the 
third or fourth class not wholly prepaid, and letters and other first-class mat- 
ter not prepaid one full rate — 2 cents. 

Overweight. All matter weighing over four pounds, except second-class 
matter and single books. This does not apply to parcel-post matter. 

Poisons, Liquors, etc. All matter harmful in its nature, as poisons, explosive 
or inflammable articles, matches, live or dead (but not stuffed) animals, and 
reptiles, fruits or vegetables liable to decomposition, guano, or any article 



166 APPENDIX 

exhaling a bad odor, vinous, spirituous, or malt liquors, and liquids liable to 
explosion, spontaneous combustion, or ignition by shock or jar. 

Obscene and Indecent. All obscene, lewd, or lascivious matter, and every 
article or thing intended, designed, or adapted for any indecent or immoral pur- 
pose, or matter of a character tending to incite arson, murder, or assassination. 

Defamatory, Dunning., etc. Postal, post, or other cards mailed without 
wrappers, and all matter bearing upon the outside cover or wrapper any de- 
lineation, epithets, terms, or language of an indecent, libelous, defamatory, 
threatening, or dunning character, or calculated by the terms or manner or style 
of display, and obviously tended to reflect injuriously upon the character or 
conduct of another. 

Tinsel, Glass. Post cards and postal cards, bearing particles of glass, metal, 
mica, sand, tinsel, or other similar substances, are unmailable, except when en- 
closed in envelopes tightly sealed to prevent the escape of such particles, or 
when treated in such manner as will prevent the objectionable substance 
from being rubbed off. 

Lottery and Fraud. All matter concerning any lottery, so-called gift concert, 
or other enterprise of chance, or concerning schemes devised for the purpose 
of obtaining money or property under false pretenses. 

COLLECTION OF MAIL 

City Collections. At offices where city delivery is in operation mail is col- 
lected from street letter boxes. Carriers while on their routes will receive letters 
with postage stamps affixed handed them for mailing, and also small packages 
on which the postage is fully prepaid, if this does not interfere with the prompt 
delivery of mail and collections from street letter boxes. 

Rural Collections. Mail for dispatch will be collected from patrons' boxes 
on which a signal is displayed indicating that there is outgoing mail therein. 
Collections will also be made from such U.S. collection boxes as may be located 
along the route. Rural carriers will accept any mailable matter properly ad- 
dressed and bearing the necessary postage, or accompanied by sufficient money 
to purchase the same, which may be personally tendered to be delivered or dis- 
patched; except that mail matter tendered shall not be accepted in a town or 
village having a post-office if it is reliably ascertained that parties offering it 
intend by so doing to " boycott " the office to deprive it of legitimate revenue. 

DELIVERY OF MAIL 

Methods. Four methods are used for the delivery of mail: (1) The general 
delivery; (2) Through post-office boxes; (3) By carriers in cities where delivery 
service is in operation; (4) By rural and star route carriers. If patrons so direct, 
all mail intended for them, however addressed, will be delivered in one of these 
ways, but if such directions are not given, mail will be delivered as addressed. 
(See Special Delivery Service, page 167.) 

General Delivery. The general delivery is intended for the use of only those 
patrons who are not permanently located or who can not, for good and sufficient 
reasons, receive mail in one of the other three methods of delivery. 

Post-office Boxes. Boxes are provided for the convenience of the public in 
the delivery of the mail. The rental prescribed by the Department must be paid 
quarterly in advance. 



APPENDIX 167 

An individual renting a box may have placed therein mail for his family, 
visitors, boarders, and employes who are members of his household, and mail 
addressed in his care. 

A box rented by a firm may be used by all its members, by the members of 
their households, and by their employes. 

A box rented by a corporation, association, or society, may be used for mail 
addressed to its officials. 

Boxes rented by colleges, schools, or public institutions, if consistent with 
the rules and usage thereof, may be used for mail addressed to the officers, 
students, employes or inmates. 

City Delivery. Mail will not be delivered by carriers above the second floor 
in office buildings not equipped with elevators, nor to the different rooms or 
suites on any floor of apartment houses whether or not they are equipped with 
elevators, nor to the side or back doors of houses. Mail will not be withdrawn 
in order to deliver it to persons calling at the post-office, after it has been dis- 
tributed to carriers. 

Rural Delivery. Mail is delivered by rural and star route carriers to indi- 
viduals or firms who properly place on an established rural delivery or star 
route boxes for the receipt of the mail, as required by the postal regulations. 
Rural carriers may deliver mail to patrons on the road, provided their identity 
is known and the carriers will not be unduly delayed. 

Addressed " In Care of — ." Mail addressed to one person in care of another 
will be delivered to the first of the two persons named who may call for it, or 
to the address of the person in whose care it is directed, in the absence of other 
instructions. 

Husband or Wife. Neither husband nor wife can control the delivery of 
mail addressed to the other against the wishes of the one to whom it is ad- 
dressed. 

Minors. The delivery of mail addressed to a minor is subject to the orders 
of the parent or guardian upon whom the minor is dependent. 

Officials. Mail addressed to a public official, or to an officer of a corporation, 
by his title, will be delivered to the person actually holding the office designated 
in the address, the assumption being that the mail is intended for the officer as 
such. 

SPECIAL DELIVERY SERVICE 

Special delivery service is the prompt delivery of mail by messenger during 
prescribed hours to persons who reside within the carrier limits of city delivery 
offices, to patrons of rural service who reside more than one mile from post- 
offices but within one-half mile of rural routes, and to residents within one 
mile of any post-office. 

How Obtained. This service is obtained by placing on any letter or article 
of mail a special delivery stamp (10 cents) or ten cents* worth of ordinary stamps 
in addition to the lawful postage. When ordinary stamps are used, the words 
" Special Delivery " must be placed on the envelope or wrapper, directly under 
but never on the stamps; otherwise the letter or article will not be accorded 
special delivery service. 

Hours of Delivery. From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at city delivery offices, and 
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all other offices, or until after the arrival of the last 
mail, provided that be not later than 9 p.m. Special delivery mail is delivered 



168 APPENDIX 

on Sundays and holidays as well as other days, if the post-office receives mail 
on Sundays. 

RETURN OF MAIL 

First Class. Letters and other mail of the first class, prepaid one full rate 
(2 cents) ; official matter and reply (double) postal cards, when undeliverable, 
will be returned to the sender without additional postage, provided such mail 
bears the name and address of the sender. Single postal cards and post cards 
(private mailing cards) will not be returned to the sender. 

If the sender does not specify the number of days within which such mail 
shall be delivered, then it will be returned as follows: (a) After five days, if 
addressed to street and number in a city; (b) after ten days, if addressed 
" transient " or " general delivery " to a city; (c) after five days, if addressed 
for delivery by rural carrier; and (d) after fifteen days, if addressed to a fourth- 
class office and not intended for delivery by rural carrier. 

Other Classes. If matter of the second class mailed by the public, and of the 
third and fourth classes of obvious value, is undeliverable, the postmaster will 
notify the sender of that fact; and such matter will be returned to the sender 
only upon new prepayment of postage. After notification of non-delivery such 
matter will be held not longer than two weeks, unless the office of mailing be 
so remote from the office of address that a response could not be received from 
the sender within that time. 

UNDELIVERED MAIL 

Advertised. All undelivered and unreturnable mail of the first class (except 
postal cards and private mailing cards) and valuable matter of the third and 
fourth classes are advertised by posting a weekly list in the post-office. A charge 
of 1 cent in addition to the regular postage is collected on advertised mail if 
delivered. 

Dead Letters and Parcels. Letters and parcels which can not be delivered 
to addressees or returned to senders, are sent to the Division of Dead Letters 
for disposal. 

Disposition. Letters are opened and returned to the writer, if practicable, 
except such as contain advertising matter only the return of which is not re- 
quested. If on opening letters valuable enclosures are found, a record is made, 
and if not returned at once to the owner, they may be reclaimed within one 
year from the date of their receipt in the Division of Dead Letters. 

Postal cards and post cards are destroyed. 

Copyright. Matter for copyright deposited with a postmaster for trans- 
mission to the Register of Copyrights, Washington, D.C., will be accepted for 
mailing free of postage; and when requested a receipt therefor will be given on 
a form furnished by the sender. Such matter, however, may not be sent by 
registered mail without prepayment of the registry fee. 

Lists of Names. Postmasters and all others in the postal service are forbid- 
den to furnish lists of names of persons receiving mail at their offices or give 
information as to the character, reliability or standing of the patrons. 

REGISTRY SYSTEM 

Object. The registry system provides greater security for valuable mail 
matter, which is accomplished by records, receipts and other safeguards in the 



APPENDIX 169 

course of handling and the exercise of special care in delivery. Registered mails 
reach every post-office in the world. 

What Matter should be Registered. All valuable letters and parcels, and 
others of no intrinsic value, for which a return receipt is desired or special care 
in delivery is essential, should be registered. 

What Matter may be Registered — Where, and by Whom. Any matter 
admissible to the domestic mails or to the Postal Union mails (except " Parcel 
Post " packages for Barbados, Dutch Guiana, France, Great Britain, the Neth- 
erlands and Uruguay) may be registered. Domestic parcel-post packages may 
be insured but not registered. " Parcel Post " mail must be taken to the post- 
office and handed to the post-master or other official in charge to be registered, 
but any other class of mail, domestic or foreign, may be registered at any post- 
office or post-office station, by any rural carrier, and when sealed and not 
cumbersome on account of size, shape, or weight, by city carriers in residential 
districts. 

Fee. The registry fee is 10 cents for each separate letter or parcel, in addition 
to the postage, either foreign or domestic, both postage and fee to be fully pre- 
paid. 

Registry Stamp. A registry stamp, specially designed for the purpose, which 
is not valid in payment of postage, should be used to prepay the registry fee, 
but ordinary postage stamps may also be used for this purpose. 

Return Receipts. When an acknowledgment of delivery is desired, the en- 
velope or wrapper of the registered article should be indorsed on the address 
side, by the sender, " Receipt desired," or with words of similar import. 

Delivery by Carriers. City letter carriers deliver registered matter at the 
residence or place of business of addressee, and rural carriers do likewise, unless 
the residence or place of business is more than one-half mile from a rural route. 

Undelivered Registered Mail. Undelivered domestic registered mail of the 
first class, and such mail of all classes of foreign origin, is returned to the sender 
without extra charge for registry fee or postage. 

Forwarding. Registered mail may be forwarded before it has been once 
properly delivered without additional charge for registry fee upon the written 
request of the sender. 

Indemnity for Lost Registered Mail. Indemnity will be paid on account of 
the loss of registered mail in the postal service. 

Domestic Indemnity. (1) For the value of domestic registered mail of the 
first class (sealed) up to $50, and (2) for the value of domestic registered mail 
of the third and fourth classes (unsealed) up to $25. 

Foreign Indemnity. (3) In any amount claimed, within the limit of 50 francs 
(approximately $9.65). 

Application for Indemnity. Reports of losses and application for indemnity 
should be made to the postmaster at the office of mailing, or at the office of ad- 
dress, with particulars of registration and a description of the contents of the 
article, and in cases of partial loss or rifling with the envelope or wrapper of the 
article. 

MONEY ORDER SYSTEM 

Application for Money Orders. A money order is obtained by filling in an 
application form at the post-office and presenting it at the money order window 
of the post-office or one of its stations. Money orders are issued for any desired 



170 APPENDIX 

amount from 1 cent to one hundred dollars, and when a larger sum than one 
hundred dollars is to be sent additional orders may be obtained. There is no 
limit to the number of money orders which may be sent by one remitter in one 
day to the same person. If the applicant for a money order resides on a rural 
route application may be made through the rural carrier, who will furnish the 
necessary forms, and must give a receipt for the amount. 

International Money Orders. At all of the larger post-offices and at many of 
the smaller ones international money orders may be obtained payable in almost 
any part of the world. 

The fees for domestic money orders are: — 

For orders from $ 0.01 to $ 2.50 3 cents. 

from $ 2.51 to $ 5.00 5 cents. 

from $ 5.01 to $ 10.00 8 cents. 

from $10.01 to $ 20.00 10 cents. 

from $20.01 to $ 30.00 12 cents. 

from $30.01 to $ 40.00 15 cents. 

from $40.01 to $ 50.00 18 cents. 

from $50.01 to $ 60.00 20 cents. 

from $60.01 to $ 75.00 25 cents. 

from $75.01 to $100.00 30 cents. 

The fees for foreign money orders, except those countries mentioned in the 
next paragraph, are : — 

For orders from $ 0.01 to $ 2.50 10 cents. 

from $ 2.51 to $ 5.00 15 cents. 

from $ 5.01 to $ 7.50 20 cents. 

from $ 7.51 to $ 10.00 25 cents. 

from $10.01 to $ 15.00 30 cents. 

from $15.01 to $ 20.00 35 cents. 

from $20.01 to $ 30.00 . .40 cents. 

from $30.01 to $ 40.00 45 cents. 

from $40.01 to $ 50.00 50 cents. 

from $50.01 to $ 60.00 60 cents. 

from $60.01 to $ 70.00 70 cents. 

from $70.01 to $ 80.00 80 cents. 

from $80.01 to $ 90.00 90 cents. 

from $90.01 to $100.00 $1.00 

Fees for foreign money orders when payable in Chile, France (including 
Algeria and Tunis), Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden: — 

For orders from $ 0.01 to $ 10.00 10 cents. 

from $10.01 to $ 20.00 20 cents. 

from $20.01 to $ 30.00 30 cents. 

from $30.01 to $ 40.00 40 cents. 

from $40.01 to $ 50.00 50 cents. 

from $50.01 to $ 60.00 60 cents. 

from $60.01 to $ 70.00 70 cents. 

from $70.01 to $ 80.00 80 cents. 

from $80.01 to $ 90.00 90 cents. 

from $90.01 to $ 100.00 $1.00 



APPENDIX 171 

Repayment. A domestic order may be repaid at the office of issue within one 
year from the last day of the month of its issue. Repayment of the amount 
of an international order may also be effected after the consent of the country 
drawn on has been obtained. 

Identification. The person presenting a money order for payment, or making 
inquiry relative to a money order will, if unknown, be required to prove his 
identity before payment will be made, or information concerning the money 
order will be given. 

Indorsements. More than one indorsement on a money order is prohibited 
by law, but additional signatures may be affixed for the purpose of identifying 
the payee or indorsee, or of guaranteeing his signature. 

Invalid Orders. A domestic order which has not been paid within one year 
from the last day of the month of its issue is invalid, but the owner may secure 
payment of the amount by making application to the Post-office Department 
through the postmaster at any money order office. 

Lost Orders. When a domestic money order has been lost, the owner may, 
upon application through either the office at which the original was issued or 
the office on which it was drawn, obtain, without charge, a duplicate to be is- 
sued in its stead within one year from the last day of the month of issue. 

POSTAL SAVINGS SYSTEM 

Object. The Postal Savings System provides facilities for depositing savings 
at interest with the security of the United States Government for repayment. 

Deposits. Any person of the age of ten years or over may become a deposi- 
tor. The account of a married woman is free from any control or interference 
of her husband. No person can have more than one account at the same time. 

An account can not be opened for less than $1, nor can fractions of $1 be 
deposited or withdrawn except as interest; but amounts less than $1 may be 
saved for deposit by the purchase of 10-cent postal-savings cards and adhesive 
10-cent postal-savings stamps. No person is permitted to deposit more than 
$100 in any one calendar month nor to have a total balance to his credit at one 
time of more than $500, exclusive of interest. 

Privacy of Accounts. No person connected with the Post-office Department 
or the postal service is permitted to disclose the name of any depositor or give 
any information concerning an account except to the depositor himself, unless 
directed to do so by the Postmaster General. 

Certificates. Depositors receive postal-savings certificates covering the 
amount of each deposit made. These certificates are valid until paid, without 
limitation as to time. Postmasters are not permitted to receive savings certi- 
ficates for safe-keeping. 

Interest. Interest will be allowed on all certificates at the rate of two per 
cent for each full year that the money remains on deposit, beginning with the 
first day of the month following the one in which it is deposited. Interest con- 
tinues to accrue on deposits as long as the certificates remain outstanding. 

Withdrawals. A depositor may at any time withdraw the whole or any part 
of his deposits, with any interest payable, by surrendering at his depository 
office savings certificates covering the desired amount. 

Death of Depositor. Upon the death of a depositor, the balance to his credit 
may be withdrawn by his duly authorized executor, administrator, or other 
legal representative. 



172 APPENDIX 

Bonds. Any depositor may, under certain conditions, convert the whole or 
a part of his deposits, in any multiple of $20 up to and including $500, into 
United States coupon or registered bonds, bearing interest at the rate of 2^ per 
cent per annum, such bonds to be exempt from all taxes or duties of the United 
States, as well as from taxation in any form by or under State, municipal, or 
local authorities. Postal-savings bonds are not counted as part of the total 
balance of $500 allowed to one depositor. 

Service Free. No charge or fee is collected or required in connection with 
the opening of an account or the withdrawal of money deposited. 

FOREIGN MAIL MATTER 

RATES OF POSTAGE 

The rates of postage applicable to articles for foreign countries are as follows: 
Letters for England, Ireland, Newfoundland, Scotland and Wales, per cents. 

ounce 2 

Letters for Germany by direct steamers, per ounce 2 

Letters for all other foreign countries, and for Germany when not dis- 
patched by direct steamers: 

For the first ounce or fraction of an ounce 5 

For each additional ounce or fraction of an ounce 3 

Single post cards (including souvenir cards), each 2 

Reply post cards, each 4 

Printed matter of all kinds, for each two ounces or fraction of two ounces . . 1 

Commercial papers, for the first ten ounces or less 5 

For each additional two ounces or fraction of two ounces 1 

Samples of merchandise, for the first four ounces or less 2 

For each additional two ounces or fraction of two ounces 1 

Registration fee in addition to postage 10 

CLASSIFICATION 

Articles for or from foreign countries (except Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the 
Republic of Panama, and the United States Postal Agency at Shanghai) are 
classified as " Letters," " Post Cards," " Printed Matter," "Commercial 
Papers " and " Samples of Merchandise." There is no provision in the Postal 
Union mails for merchandise other than samples. 

Letters. When a package is prepaid in full at the letter rate it is treated as 
letter mail, provided it does not contain prohibited articles. Such packages 
may contain merchandise.not sent as trade samples. Sealed or unsealed pack- 
ages which appear to contain dutiable matter will be inspected by customs offi- 
cers of the country of destination and the proper customs duties will be levied. 

Post Cards. The United States international 2-cent single and reply post 
cards should be used for correspondence with foreign countries, except Canada, 
Cuba, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, and Shanghai, to which the domestic 
1-cent single and reply post cards are mailable. 

Printed Matter. Printed matter in the foreign mails is governed by substan- 
tially the same rules and conditions as in the domestic mails. (See page 101.) 

Commercial Papers. This class includes all instruments or documents 
written or drawn wholly or partly by hand, which have not the character of 
an actual and personal correspondence. 



APPENDIX 173 

Samples of Merchandise. Packages of miscellaneous merchandise in the 
regular mails for foreign countries (except Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Republic 
of Panama and Shanghai) are restricted to bona fide samples or specimens hav- 
ing no salable or commercial value in excess of that actually necessary for their 
use as samples or specimens. 

Samples of merchandise must conform to the following conditions: — 

(1) They must be placed in bags, boxes or removable envelopes in such a 
manner as to admit of easy inspection. 

(2) They must not have any salable value nor bear any manuscript other than 
the name or profession of the sender, the address of the addressee, a manu- 
facturer's or trade mark, numbers, prices and indications relating to the weight 
or size of the quantity to be disposed of, and words which are necessary to in- 
dicate precisely the origin and nature of the merchandise. Packages of sam- 
ples of merchandise must not exceed twelve ounces in weight, twelve inches 
in length, eight inches in breadth and four inches in thickness. 

Reply-coupon. There may be purchased at a post-office for 6 cents a reply- 
coupon, by means of which a person in the United States can furnish his cor- 
respondent in certain foreign countries with a postage stamp with which to 
prepay postage on a reply. The countries in which the reply-coupon is valid 
may be ascertained upon inquiry at a post-office. 

Reply coupons issued by other countries are redeemable at United States 
post-offices in postage stamps to the value of five cents for each reply-coupon. 

Prohibited Articles. All articles not admissible to the domestic mails are 
excluded also from the foreign mails. 

The transmission of the following articles is absolutely prohibited in the 
mails for foreign countries under any circumstances; viz., publications which 
violate the copyright laws of the country of destination; packets (except 
single volumes of printed books for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, the Republic of 
Panama, Shanghai, and Salvador, and second-class matter for Canada, Cuba, 
Mexico, the Republic of Panama and Shanghai) which exceed four pounds 
six ounces in weight; and letters or packages containing coin, gold or silver sub- 
stances, jewelry or precious articles. This prohibition against coin, etc., does 
not apply to Canada, Cuba, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, Shanghai, or 
those countries whose legislation does not prohibit their circulation in their 
domestic mails. So far as this Department has been advised, the conditions 
prescribed prevent the forwarding of the articles referred to in the mail for any 
country of the Postal Union except Canada, Cape Colony, Colombia, Den- 
mark, Germany and the German Protectorates, Great Britain and certain 
British Colonies, Luxemburg, Peru, and Siam. 

Prohibited articles, if mailed sealed against inspection, will not be delivered, 
although they reach their destination. 

Miscellaneous Conditions. Wrapping. All matter to be sent in the mails 
at less than the letter rates of postage must be wrapped securely and in such 
manner that it can easily be examined. 

Postage Due. Letters with postage wholly unpaid and articles of all kinds 
with insufficient postage paid are chargeable with double the amount of the 
deficient postage. 

Forwarding. Mail matter of all kinds received from any foreign country, 
including Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the Republic of Panama, is required to 
be forwarded, at the request of the addressee, from one post-office to another 



174 



APPENDIX 



and — in the case of articles other than parcel-post packages — to any foreign 
country, without additional charge for postage. 

Return. Letters and other articles of apparent value, if undeliverable, are 
required to be returned without extra charge. 



PARCEL POST TO FOEEIGN COUNTRIES 



Admissible Matter. Packages of mailable merchandise may be sent, in un- 
sealed packages, by " Parcel Post " to the following named countries: — 



Australia, 

Austria, 

Bahamas, 

Barbados, 

Belgium, 

Bermuda, 

Bolivia, 

Brazil, 

British Guiana, 

Chile, 

Colombia, 

Costa Rica, 

Curacao, 

Danish West Indies, 

Denmark, 



Dutch Guiana, 

Ecuador, 

France, 

Germany, 

Great Britain, 

Guatemala, 

Haiti, 

Honduras (British), 

Honduras (Republic of), 

Hongkong, 

Hungary, 

Italy, 

Jamaica, 

Japan, 

Leeward Islands, 



Mexico, 
Netherlands, 
Newfoundland, 
New Zealand, 
Nicaragua, 
Norway, 
Peru, 
Salvador, 
Sweden, 

Trinidad, including To- 
bago, 
Uruguay, 
Venezuela, 
Windward Islands. 



Postage Rates. Postage must be prepaid in full by stamps affixed at the 
rate of 12 cents a pound or fraction of a pound. Registry fee 10 cents in addi- 
tion to postage. 

Registration. The sender of a parcel addressed to any of the countries 
named in the table at the head of this section, except Barbados, Curacao, 
Dutch Guiana, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Uruguay, may 
have the same registered by paying a registry fee of 10 cents, and will receive 
the " Return Receipt " without special charge therefor, when envelope or 
wrapper is marked " Return receipt demanded." 

Place of Mailing. Matter intended for parcel post must be taken to the 
post-office for inspection and there deposited in the mails. It must not be de- 
posited in a letter box. 

Letters prohibited. A letter or communication of the nature of personal cor- 
respondence must not accompany, be written on, or enclosed with any parcel. 
If such be found, the letter will be placed in the mails if separable, and if the 
communication be inseparably attached, the whole parcel will be rejected. 

Dimensions. To all countries named packages are limited to three and one- 
half feet in length, and to six feet in length and girth combined, except that 
packages for Colombia and Mexico are limited to two feet in length and four 
feet in girth. 

Weight. Packages to certain post-offices in Mexico must not exceed four 
pounds six ounces in weight, but those for all other countries named may weigh 
up to but not exceeding eleven pounds. 

Value. The limit of value is $50 on packages for Ecuador, and $80 on those 
for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hongkong, Hungary, 
Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden; but on those for the other 
countries named there is no limit of value. 



INDEX 



Acknowledgment, of orders, 33-34, 111 ; 

of payment, 38-40; of complaint, 127, 

129. 
Additional exercises in letter writing, 

142-145. 
Address, 6, 7. 
Advertisements to be answered, 92, 141, 

145. 
Age, in letter of application, 88, 89. 
Announcements, 60, 78-80. 
Answering complaints. See Complaints. 
Application, letters of, 87-92. 
Argument and proof, 61, 62, 68-71. 
Attention, gaining the, 61, 62, 63, 64. 

Balance and harmony, in arrangement, 
1, 5; in style, 77. 

Bill (illus.), 114. 

Bill of lading, 112, 153, 160. 

Body of the letter, 2, 6. 

Bondsman, 90. 

Business, promoted by letter, 1, 29, 30, 
60; factors in attracting, 33, 34; mean- 
ing "service," 51; spirit, 60. 

Business Men's Library, quoted, 30. 

Cablegrams. See Telegrams. 

Capitals, use of, in salutation, 16; in 

complimentary close, 18. 
Carbon copy for filing, 146, 149. 
Catch- words, 63. 
Cautions to office assistants, 5, 36, 95, 

102. 
Check, 36; (illus.), 37, 124. 
Cipher. See Codes. 
Circular letters. See Form letters. 
Circulars, filing of, 152. 
Climax, 61, 62, 74-76. 
Codes, 98, 110. 
Coin card, 36. 
Collection, methods of, 44; letters, 44- 



48; through a lawyer, 48, 118, 132, 

138; through an agency, 48; by draft, 

48, 49; of mail, 166. 
Competitor, criticism of a, 77. 
Complaints, 117, 139; answering, 50-54, 

127, 129. 
Complimentary close, 2, 6. 
Contract relations in a letter, 35. 
Conventional forms, advantages of, 4. 
"Copy," 86. 

Copying corrected draft, 140. 
Corner card. See Return address. 
Correspondence necessary in a sale by 

letter (diagram), 147. 
Coupon de Reports, 93, 173. 
Court, as last resort in collections, 48. 
Courtesy, in use of titles, 9; power of, 50. 
Crisis of 1907, 40. 
Criticism. See Competitor. 
Currency, sent by mail, 36. 

Date, numerical writing of the, 7. 

Dead Letter Ofiice, 24, 28. 

Definiteness in ordering, 30-31. 

Degrees, 11, 12. 

Delay in ordering, preventing, 73-76. 

Delivery of mail, 166. 

Description and explanation, 61, 62, 65- 

68. 
Direction, 6, 23-27. 
Draft, 36. 

Enclosures, 35-38, 124; (illus.), 37, 124. 

Enthusiasm in letter- writing, 57. 

Envelopes, official, 5, 22; square, 23; 
with transparent section, 23; direc- 
tion of, 23-28, 84, 95; opening of, 27; 
return, 93; stamped, 165; (illus.), 21, 
22, 23, 25, 26, 27. 

Exactness, 66-67. See also Definiteness. 

Experience, in letter of application, 88. 



176 



INDEX 



Explaining the proposition, 66. 
Extension of time, 40-43. 

File, section of a (illus.), 149; complete 

(Ulus.), 152. 
Filing by location (illus.), 151. 
Filing of letters and papers, 146-152. 
Financial standing. See Requests for 

information. 
First impression, importance of the, 1, 

4-6. 
Flat file (illus.), 148. 
Folders (illus.), 149. 
Folding stationery, 21-22; (illus.), 21, 22. 
Follow-up letters, 80-84. 
Foreign mail matter, 172-174. 
Form letters, 55-59, 61, 78, 79. 
Freight notice (illus.), 112. 

Glossary of business terms, 153-159; of 
abbreviations and symbols, 160-162. 
Guide cards, subdivided (illus.), 150. 

Hamilton, Alexander, quoted, 29. 

Hawthorne, quoted, 29. 

Heading, 2, 6-9. 

How to Write Letters that Win, quoted, 

61, 62, 73. 
Human interest. See Interest. 

Inducement, 61, 62, 73-74. 

Information. See Requests for informa- 
tion. 

Inscriptions on third class mail, 101. 

Insurance, correspondence concerning, 
68, 72, 81-83; 119, 133; of parcels, 104. 

Interest, a factor in business relations, 
33; fostering, by letter, 56-58, 65-66. 

Introduction, 6, 9-14. 

Introduction, letters of, 84-85; request 
form, 123. 

Language, choice of, in letters, 29, 30, 
55, 57, 67, 70; in telegrams, 97, 98. 

"Large Drawer" for filing (illus.), 149. 

Lawyers, in collection business, 48. 

Letter, outline of, 2; divisions of, 6; as a 
record, 35, 44; equivalent to a con- 



tract, 35; responsibility of the, 70, 87. 
See also Applications, Follow-up let- 
ters, Form letters, Introduction, Re- 
commendation, Sales letters, Quality 
of letter. 

Letter-book, 146. 

Letter head, use of the, 5; arrangement 
of heading with regard to, 7. 

Letter press, 146. 

Mail matter, sorting of, 24; return of, 28; 
classification of, 100-104; Post Office 
Bulletin concerning, 163-172. 

Margins, 5, 13, 14, 16, 31. 

Money, enclosed, 36; "refunded," 69, 
70; telegraphed, 98. 

Money order system, 169-171. 

"Morning Mail," the, 105-141. 

Night letters, 97; (illus.), 137. 

Offense, caution against taking, 83. 
Orders, 29-33, 120, 125, 134; acknowl- 
edgment of, 33-34. 

Paragraph, margin for, 5, 14; subject 

matter for, 5; for separate items, 31. 
Parcel post, 101, 102-104. 
Payment deferred, 40; requests for, 44- 

48; enclosed, 37, 124. 
Personal vs. business matters, 95-96, 130. 
Personality in letter writing, 59, 60, 79. 
Persuasion, 61, 62, 71-74. 
Point of view, in answering complaints, 

51; in sales letters, 59. 
Post cards, 164. 

Post Office, preferences of the, 24, 25, 26. 
Postage, return, 93; foreign, 93, 102; 

rates of, 100-103; Post OflSce Bulletin 

concerning, 163-174. 
Postal cards, 164. 
Postal information, 163-172. See also 

Mail, Postage, etc. 
Postal order, 36. See also Money Order. 
Postal savings system, 171-172. 
Postscript, advantage of the, 78. 
Premium notice (illus.), 119. 
Preparation, in letter of application, 88. 



INDEX 



177 



Private mailing cards. See Post cards. 

" Professor," use of, 12. 

Promptness, 38, 40. 

Proof. See Argument. 

Public letters, 94-95. 

Punctuality. See Promptness. 

Punctuation, importance of, 1; varia- 
tions in style of, 8; of heading, 8; of 
salutation, 16; and telegrams, 97. 

Purpose, determining style and subject 
matter, 56. 

Quality of letter, 1, 55, 61, 70, 87, 89. 

Recommendation, letters of, 85-87. 

References, 69, 87, 88, 91. 

Registry system, 168-169. 

Requests, for extension of time, 40-43, 
113, 135; for payment, 44-48, 108^ 
128, 138; for catalogue, 56-58, 60, 
107; for information, 93-94, 115, 122; 
for an introduction, 123. 

Resignation, letter of, 126. 

Return address, 25, 26, 27. 

Return of mail, 168. 

Salary, in letter of application, 89. 
Sales letters, 59-78; importance of, 1, 

60; analysis of, 61, 62; 106. 
Sales talk, opportunities for, 44, 45, 46, 

60; illustrations of, 62, 63, 64, 65 , 67, 

68, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 131, 136. 
Salutation, 2, 6, 15-18. 
Satisfying the customer, 50. 
"Second" (sheet), 5. 
Second person pronoun, power of. See 

"You." 
Shakespeare, quoted, 30. 
Shannon file (illus.), 148. 
Shipping directions, 31. 
Signature, to letter, 2, 6, 18, 19, 28; to 

order, 74. 



Sincerity in letter writing, 40, 51, 59, 60, 
66, 84, 86. 

Social matters. See Personal. 

Special delivery, 102, 167. 

Stamping the letter, 25, 102. 

State, name of, in the heading and direc- 
tion, 7, 26. 

Statement (illus.), 121; request for, 109. 

Stationery, 1, 4, 5, 88, 89; (illus.), 21, 22, 
23, 25, 26, 27, 28. 

Stenographer, cautions to the, 5, 36, 95, 
102, 105. 

Style, in arrangement, 5 ; in composition, 
30, 31, 55-57, 89. 

Suggestion, power of, 71, 72. 

Superscription, 6. See also Direction. 

Tact, 45, 53. 
Telecard, 99. 
Telegrams and cablegrams, 97-100; 

(illus.), 110, 130, 137. 
Telepost, 99. 
Telepost Company, 99. 
Teletape, 99. 
Term of credit, 40. 
Testimonials, 69, 85. 
Tests of form letters, 56. 
Title, before signature, 19. 
Titles: business, 9-11; professional, 11- 

12; official, 13. 
Typewriting, economy in, 17, 24, 27, 55; 

imitated in form letter, 55 ; increase in 

business because of, 61. 

Undelivered mail, 168. 
Unmailable matter, 101, 165. 

Webster, Daniel, quoted, 29. 
Words, choice of. See Language. 
Wrapping of mail, 165. 

"You," power of pronoun, 67. 



